


When worlds collide

by Scarlett_Demons



Category: Supernatural, The Walking Dead (TV), World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2018-12-22 06:44:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 32,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11961882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Demons/pseuds/Scarlett_Demons
Summary: This is a bit of fun fan fic that my friends and I have been toying with for ages. Basically we've taken all our favorite characters and crushes and thrown them all into one story.





	1. Gotta Get Away

The highway was quiet as Samantha hit it hard, foot to the floor, window open. Her long brown hair billowed out of the window behind her. It was mid morning and the sky was clear. Hopefully she would have a decent journey. She desperately needed to be out of the city and with every passing second the spinning tires took her further and further away from it. She wanted to feel relief but as the concrete jungle disappeared in the rear-view mirror and the fields and hills opened up before her, she felt more hopeless then ever

She leaned her elbow out the open window and rubbed her hand across her forehead, trying to will away the beginning of a migraine. Sitting up straight, she adjusted her black sunglasses and reached over to her purse on the passenger seat to rummage for some painkillers. 

Popping the lid and swallowing them dry she then gripped the steering wheel tight, pushed herself back into the seat and let out a guttural growl. 

Frustration had been building inside her for months. Building and overflowing. So much so she'd blown up at her brother over something trivial and he'd told her she was crazy and to go to hell. She felt awful for how she spoke to him and awful for how he'd spoken back to her. She knew she had to apologize and clear the air. She hated fighting with him and she knew she was wrong but for the moment she wanted be alone and wallow in her misery.

Samantha tapped her fingers along with the stereo and shuffled a little to try and disperse some of the tension she was holding onto. She knew she had to figure things out and she knew she was running out of time. 

She had been given a book advance three months ago after she lied to her editor and told her the second installment or her trilogy was nearly finished. The success of her previous book was enough for her editor and publishing company to trust her implicitly but she knew her reputation would only keep the wolves from the door for another few weeks. And then what?

She laughed to herself in almost hysteria as the reality set that she had accepted and cashed a cheque with five figures on it and didn't even have a working title. They wanted to see the first draft by the end of the month, which meant she had just four weeks to try and come up with something.

She had convinced herself that it was the stress of losing her Aunt that had triggered the worst bout of writers block she'd ever suffered. Samantha and her brother were the only living relatives and that meant they had lots of lose ends to tie up on Aunt Penny's behalf.

They were never a hugely close family and it surprised her that they had been left with not only all the paper work to sort out but also all of Aunt Penny's money and assets. Samantha didn't care for Aunt Penny one bit, she never had. She thought she was rude and archaic and always took great pleasure in telling her all the reasons her lifestyle and behavior prevented her from getting a husband.

Samantha chuckled again as she turned the stereo up. So what if she didn't have a husband? She had a career (sort of) she had Seth (her brother) and the best friends a girl could ask for. She didn't need a man to make her happy. She wasn't interested in any sort of relationship and the thought of having sex made her feel exhausted. She was happy by herself and she liked that she didn't have to answer to anyone. 

She and Seth had pretty much wrapped up all of the paperwork and accounts but there was still the small matter of Waters Meet or Purgatory, as Seth had renamed it during one of their arduous summers there.

Waters Meet was a bed and breakfast in the low lying levels of the Loess Hills. Hikers referred to it as the B&B in the woods. It was a lovely spot, a beautiful stone built building with a big glass conservatory, an open plan living room that lead to a kitchen, diner and the conservatory. But there was nothing really to do there to do besides hike, fish, drink and ponder the inadequacies of your existence. They used to go up there with their parents for a couple of weeks every summer but since they had passed away, Seth had stopped going and Samantha only went out of guilt. It was a massive burden on Aunt Penny as she got older and neither Seth or Samantha had the time or energy to keep it going ,which meant it needed to be sold.

They had talked about how much work and money it would take to bring it up to scratch and they discussed selling it cheap to move it quickly but there was still something about it Samantha clung to and wasn't quite ready to let go of. Maybe it was the memory of her parents or the fact that once it was gone, there were no further ties to their childhood. Samantha quickly shooed those thoughts from her mind. The final decision didn't need making right this second. She and her girlfriends had taken to using it as a runaway spot when they needed to get away. And this was exactly what Samantha was doing, she was heading up there for some peace and quiet, in hope that some serenity would lift the writers block. She'd give it a few days and if nothing came to her, she'd invite the girls up for some reinforcement and ego boosting. The girls would help her feel better about herself whilst her career went hurtling over the edge of a cliff.

The hours and miles rolled by and the sunlight began to fade. Samantha decided to stop and pick up some provisions and call Seth before she turned into the mountains and lost all contact with the outside world. The B&B had a landline but that was it. She also realized as she pulled into the services, that she hadn't told anyone where she was going.

She sat a moment in the car and pulled out her phone. She knew the first person she would text would be Ellie. Ellie was her go to gal, she loved fierce and would drop anything for Samantha. If Samantha ever needed anything, she knew Ellie would be the first one there for her.

'Hey chick, I'm heading up to the B&B for a while, gotta try and find some inspiration for this god damn book. If you don't hear from me by Thursday round up the girls and bring wine. Love ya x'

She sat a moment longer, her thumb hovering over Seth's name. She could feel her heart racing but just as she went to swipe across, Ellie replied with 'oh god, ok hun, hope you're ok, see ya soon'

Samantha smiled to herself. She loved her friends and sometimes wondered if it would be easier just to marry one of them. 'If only I was gay,' she chuckled to herself. And with a big deep breath she bravely swiped to call Seth.

He answered after a few rings

'Hey' he said quietly  
'Hi' she replied  
'What's up?' He asked with a short snap in his voice.  
'I....erm....I'm sorry about the other day' she began 'I shouldn't have spoken to you like that'  
Samantha paused for a moment  
'Nah.... it's my fault' Seth said 'I'm away so much and all this with Aunt Penny has fallen on you' he summarized 'I was an ass, I'm sorry' he said  
'It's ok little brother' said Samantha, 'your job is your life, I get it. I just gotta get past this writers block and I don't know how I'm gonna do it'  
'I know' he said 'I don't know what to suggest' he sounded very dejected  
'I'm going down to Purgatory for a few weeks, see if it helps'

Seth laughed. Samantha knew how much he hated that place and always thought it hilarious when she went there by choice.

'You do that' he replied  
'Hey, how's your knee?' She suddenly asked, quickly remembering the fall he had last week and the MRI he was due to have.  
'It's bad man' he drawled 'I gotta see the doctor this afternoon..... I think I'm gonna need surgery'

'Oh Seth, I'm so sorry' she replied.

'If I do, they'll pull me from the active roster and I'll be heading home' he said with a quiver in his voice

'It'll be alright, you can stay with me whilst you recover. You and that ratty dog of yours'

'Hey, you leave Biscuit alone' he laughed and then sighed. 'If they send me home, maybe I'll come up to the B&B for a few days'

'Sure, whatever you need. I'll call you tomorrow ok?' Replied Samantha

'Ok sis, drive safe. I love you' Seth replied

'Love you' said Samantha.

And as the call disconnected she slapped her hand to her face as she realized what she'd done.

She had told Ellie to come down to the B&B and now given Seth the all clear to do the same. Ellie and Seth in the same place as each other was a sure fire way to produce more drama then anyone could handle. Ellie was deeply in love with Seth and had been for years. Deep down she thought Seth had feelings for Ellie too but would never admit it. 

He was insanely stubborn just like their father had been and because he was a professional wrestler, a celebrity if you will, he used it as an excuse to sleep around and not make any sort of commitment to anyone. It annoyed Samantha that he led Ellie on but as time went on, she came to realize that Ellie was just as bad as he was and she elected to just leave them to it. She was a big girl and could make her own decisions. 

But still....Ellie and Seth. Not a good idea when all Samantha wanted was peace and quiet.

Samantha purchased some provisions and began the long winding road into the mountains. As the roads got narrower she noticed the temperature start to drop. She put the heat on and rolled the windows up. Another hour and she'd be there. 

She hated arriving in the dark. The dirt track was slippy from the rain that had started to fall, Samantha wouldn't be surprised if it turned to snow over the next few days.

Them the stone built building appeared through a clearing in the trees and she brought the car to a halt at the front porch. 

She got out and quickly bustled her things into the foyer. She flicked a couple of lights on and took a few minutes to glance around. Dark wood panels adorned the walls, ancient looking paintings of sheep and hills hung from every nook. The curtains were hand woven and heavy and a musty smell filled her nostrils. 

She quickly lit the main fire in the large sitting room and turned a couple more lamps on. She was trying hard to bring some light and warmth into the place but it was only a matter of time before Samantha became aware of how very alone she was. 

It was now pitch black out and she sat in one of the plush arm chairs with a cup of soup debating what she should do.

Time ticked by as she watched the fire start to fade. The embers were glowing orange but the flames had disappeared. Samantha glanced around for firewood but soon realized she had none, which meant she would have to go out onto the back porch to get some.

She pulled her boots and jacket on and stepped out the back door. The cold air felt like it knocked the wind out of her so she pulled her collar up round her and wrapped her arms round herself. She glanced around the wooden porch, spotting the pile of firewood at the far end. The trees creaked and the leaves rustled their old familiar tune. Samantha looked over the side of the deck to the ground below and strained her eyes to focus at what she saw below her.


	2. Can't let you go

She blinked and blinked again and then rubbed her eyes. Was that a pair of boots she could see behind the bushes at the end of the deck? A pair of dark brown boots? She went into the house to grab her phone and quickly turned on the torch. 

She slowly walked down the steps, her boots clunking on the wood as she descended. She wasn't trying to be quiet. She half hoped that her thudding would disturb whoever occupied those boots but it didn't. The boots remained still the whole time. Slowly she made her way towards them. The leaves and earth crunched under her feet. She placed each step carefully and held her phone up to light the way. 

As she neared the edge of the porch she spoke out 'Hello' 

She paused 

'Is someone there?' No response. Her heart was pounding. 

Part of her wanted to run back into the house and call the cops but the other part of her didn't. Her curiosity got the better of her and she proceeded with caution. 'Please don't be a dead body' she said to herself as she lifted her phone a little higher, resting it on the deck as a man came into view.

'Oh my god' she said and knelt beside the man who was laid face down in the leaves. He was tall, really tall, easily over six feet, he wore dark blue jeans, a blue and white checked shirt and a dark brown jacket. He had brown hair, long brown hair which looked matted, he had a cut above his eye and blood down the side of his face. He almost looked like he was asleep. 

Samantha knelt down next to him and pushed his hair out of his face and gently shook him by the shoulder 'Hey' she said but he didn't reply and didn't move

She paused a moment and looked around, seeing if she could spot a vehicle or something which might give her a clue as to where he came from.

'Hey' she said again a little louder and shook him again a little harder. In an instant the guy had rolled over, sat up and scooted back up against a large tree trunk and pulled out a gun. He held it pointed firmly at Samantha's head. He was breathing heavily and she could see his hands shaking in a panic

Samantha stood up and raised her hands, her legs felt like jelly and she could feel her heart bursting through her chest.

'It's ok' she blurted out 'I won't hurt you'

The guy looked even more panicked, he kept looking both ways, darting his head back and forth as his hair swished across his face. His eyes darted in every possible direction as huffed loud long breaths from deep inside his lungs

Samantha tried to take a step back but the sound of the leaves crunching startled him and he flicked the gun at her again. 

She had no choice but to remain still, fixed to the spot where she stood, not sure if any moment he might pull the trigger by accident.

'Where am I?' He said through his teeth and looked around again, pushing himself further into the tree stump.

'You're at Waters Meet bed and breakfast' Samantha replied shakily. She was terrified. She had never seen a real gun in her life, let alone had one pointed at her. 

Silence fell between them.

'Where's Dean?' He said 'DEEEAAAAAN' he shouted out.

'There's no-one else here' replied Samantha, trying to soften her tone to alleviate the situation

'This is my Aunts place, it's been empty for months' Samantha said firmly, surmising that if he was going to shoot her, he would've done so by now. He was clearly hurt and terrified.

The man slowly got to his feet and hesitantly lowered his gun, although he still clung to it as he held it to his side.

'Who's Dean?' Samantha asked

'He's my brother' he replied in a southern drawl 'we were, urm, looking for something and we got separated' he tapered off and looked around some more. He pulled out a phone, glanced at it and then back at Samantha and then frustratingly put it back in his pocket. 

He didn't just look at her, he stared at her with his piercing green eyes, for what felt like forever. Like he was trying to convince himself that she wasn't a threat. Then he panicked again after realizing he was still clinging to his gun and he tucked it back into his jeans.

'Oh god, I'm sorry' he said apologetically 'you startled me' The embarrassment clear from the tone of his voice.

Samantha let out an obvious sigh of relief and retrieved her phone from the deck where she'd rested it. 'It's ok' she said as she let go of the breath she'd been holding on to.

'You won't get a reception out here' she told him.

There was something about this guy that instigated Samantha's nurturing instinct and before she could stop herself she continued with 'but you can use my land line to make some calls if you need to'

Damn her pathological need to help people, even people who hold a gun to her head. She beckoned him towards the house and walked slowly back along the dirt path to the steps. He jogged up beside her as she went to step up. 'What's your name?' He asked softly  
She hesitated a moment, taking a moment to look at him now she had the light from the porch. 

He had a perfectly chiseled jawline covered in stubble. His hair flopped around his face and his accent was southern, maybe Texas. She couldn't help but wonder what a good looking chap like that was doing wandering in the woods on his own in the dark.

'Samantha' she replied as she climbed the stairs 

'Sa-manth-ah' he repeated quietly but not so quietly she couldn't hear him

'What?' She replied as she turned to face him.

He'd pulled his lips into a thin sliver of a smile. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach when she realized the smile never reached his eyes. She had always been a good judge of people and she thought it sad that even when he smiled, he didn't smile at all.

'It's nice to meet you Samantha' he uttered 'I'm Sam'

She chuckled and opened the door. 

'I really am sorry about the gun' he said again as he wiped his feet on the doormat.

'It's ok' she said 'Phone's over there' and she pointed to the window sill next to one of the arm chairs. She noticed the fire had all but gone out, so she quickly went back to the porch to get some wood.

Samantha busied herself rebuilding the fire as Sam sat on the arm of the chair, frustratingly dialing number after number with no success. After a while he gave up, slammed the phone down and pulled his fist to his mouth whilst forcing out a long and exasperated breath.

Samantha stood by the fire to get warm and rubbed her hands together as the new flames danced along the grate and flickered shadows across the room.

'What did you say this place is called?' He asked

'Waters Meet. Hikers call it the B&B in the mountains' Samantha replied as she fidgeted awkwardly in front of the fire.

'Which mountains?' Sam asked again as a look of confusion spread across his face. He pulled his eyebrows together into a fierce frown that burrowed deep lines into his forehead. Lines that have been clearly been there for a long time.

'Loess Hills, Iowa' Samantha replied

'Iowa?' Sam blurted out 'How the hell did I end up in Iowa?' He stood up and started pacing the room, agitated and frustrated.

'I thought you said you were with your brother, looking for something' 

'Yeah, we were looking for something in Oklahoma' Sam said puzzled

'What were you looking for?' Samantha pressed further. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't adding up and was keen to get as much information out of Sam as possible.

He dropped his head and that weird smile, this time with teeth appeared on his face 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you' he replied and got up to head towards the door.

'Try me' Samantha said and took a couple of steps towards him. 

He paused with his back to her. Silence swept across the house.

She stood in the middle of the room staring at his back, she could hear her heart pounding in her ears, feel her breath catching in the back of her throat. She couldn't in good conscience let him go back out into the woods in the middle of the night

'It's also midnight and freezing out there, where exactly are you gonna go?' She said, very matter-of-fact.

'I gotta find Dean' he said sadly and turned to face her, the sadness burrowed into his face once more. He clearly loved his brother very much and seemed almost lost without him.

'Why don't you get some sleep and start again in the morning? You're no good to Dean if you freeze to death on the side of a mountain' Samantha went on, almost impressing herself with her new found assertiveness.

'Yeah, I guess' he said dejectedly and stepped back into the room. He walked past her towards the fireplace and put his hands on the mantle, gripping it so tight his knuckles turned white. He bent over a little and dropped his head and without saying a word let out another long breath.

Samantha took him a mug of tea from the stove and handed it to him.

'Thanks' he whispered as he took the mug, wrapping both hands around it and pulling it to his lips.

Samantha smiled at him. She couldn't help herself. There was something so mysterious and captivating about him.

'You gonna let me clean that cut up?' She asked as she beckoned to the cut above his eye, 'It'll get infected'

'Sure' he said as he slumped down into the armchair, resting his head back and closing his eyes.

Samantha hurried upstairs, praying Aunt Penny had some sort of first aid kit somewhere. She rummaged through drawer after drawer but found nothing. Eventually she tried one of the linen closets and found a first aid bag in there 

When she got back downstairs, Sam had taken his jacket and boots off, stretched his long legs into the coffee table and fallen asleep with his arms crossed around himself. His head rested up against the side of the armchair and his eyes were pulled tight shut. Even in his sleep, he frowned. He was clearly a troubled soul and this ignited something inside Samantha. She was always drawn to the broken ones, the ones she wanted to fix. She and her friends always joked that they were all broken in some way but their broken fragments, when put together, made them whole.

Samantha pulled a stool up to arm chair and took an antiseptic wipe out of a packet and gently touched it to the side of Sams face, wiping the dried blood off his cheek and forehead. He didn't stir. The light from the fire lit his face up, giving him a warm orange glow.   
He was a good looking guy, no denying it. 

She reached down for another wipe and this time pressed it softly to the cut above his eye. He squinted and opened his eyes wide. 'Sorry' she said softly as she cleaned his open wound  
'S'ok' he whispered back.

They sat in silence as she cleaned him up. 

After she had finished and was about to get up he grabbed her arm and looked at her again. Those eyes near killed her. He just looked at her. 'I'm sorry about the gun' he said 'it's been a weird day' and he released her allowing her to stand.

She discarded the medical remains into the fire before returning to the stool next to Sam. He seemed a little more relaxed, comfy almost and he seemed to like her sitting close to him.

'You never did tell me what you were looking for?' She asked again

Sam cleared his throat and looked at her again. Something about her made him want to pour his heart out. At the same time he didn't want to scare her with all the crap he was currently dealing with.

He shuffled in the chair, pulled his legs off the table and sat forward resting his elbows on his knees

'We were looking for our friend' he began 'He's been missing for a while and we got a lead that maybe he was in Oklahoma'

That doesn't seem so bad, Samantha thought to herself.

'He hasn't been himself lately and when he disappeared, we got really worried' Sam went on. His voice was low, almost a whisper, like he was scared someone other then Samantha might be listening to him.

'Are you worried he might hurt himself?' Samantha asked softly

'Not that' Sam replied 'a lot of people are looking for him, they want to hurt him and it's our job to keep him safe' Sam said as a troubled look grew on his face.

'Your job?' She said puzzled

'Our job is to protect people' Sam said

'Like a body guard?' She asked

'Not quite' Sam said and chuckled 'we protect people from bad things and our friend is..... let's just say... he's important'

'I see' Samantha said, still confused. He was so vague yet as he spoke, it already felt like he'd said too much.

He held his head in his hands and rubbed his nose. Samantha reached over and lightly touched his arm, rubbing it gently.

'Well I sure hope you find him' she said softly.

'Me too' he said and slumped back into the chair brushing his hair out of his face as he did.

'Tell me about your brother' she said, tying to encourage him to keep talking.

'Dean?' Sam said 'huh... Dean is my older brother, he practically raised me' Sams eyes lit up when he spoke about Dean. 

'That's nice you guys are so close. I have a little brother too and I adore him' Samantha said 'he works away a lot though.... I miss him. It's just been the two of us since our parents died'

'Same' said Sam 'How come your brother works away?' 

'He's a professional wrestler so always on the road' Samantha replied 'but it looks like he might have to take some time off to sort out an injury' 

'That sucks he's hurt' Sam replied 

'I wish we could take some time off' he chuckled.

'I'm guessing your job doesn't give you the opportunity to take time off?' Samantha went on

'Ha no' he chuckled 'we're on the road a lot. We have this car......' Sams eyes widened a little 'we parked it on the edge of the forest, I'll head out to look for it in the morning'

'Sure thing. I'll help you look if you like. I know these roads like the back of my hand' Samantha said.

Sam smiled at her, with his pursed lips, he even scrunched his eyes a little.

'I'm gonna go to bed' she said 'do you want to stay in a guest room or are you ok here?' 

'I'm good here' Sam replied 'I can keep an eye out for Dean'

'Ok goodnight' she said and stood up and walked towards the stairs.

'Thank you' Sam uttered across the room at her.


	3. Just come now!

Samantha ascended the stairs to her room and threw herself into the pillows and closed her eyes. Before she could doze off she had a brainwave and sat bolt upright reaching for the phone on the bedside table.

She knew exactly who to call to help this guy.

The phone rang.....and rang.....and rang. Eventually a tired voice answered.

'Hello?' Came the croaky voice at the other end.  
'Sandy....it's Samantha'   
'Hey sweety' she said still half asleep 'what's wrong, it's the middle of the night' Sandy said trailing off.

Samantha folder her legs and spoke quietly into the receiver

'I'm at my Aunts B and B and I found this guy passed out on the back porch'

'Oh my god, is everything ok? Are you ok?' Sandy asked, pinging to life 

'I'm fine hun but there's something about this guy, I...I need your help'

'Oh my god Samantha get out of there and call the cops' she replied in a panic

'Calm down' Samantha said sternly 'not like that. He said he and his brother were looking for their friend and they got separated' 

'Oh ok' Sandy said 'well, just let him stay the night and then and send him to look for his brother in the morning'

'I'm not sure it's that simple. Is there any chance you can get to the B&B and help him?' Samantha asked 'I know you're busy with the election coming up but I figured with your government connections, you can help him better then I can, maybe trace his brothers phone or something?'

Silence fell

'How hot is he?' Sandy asked

'What?!' Samantha almost shouted down the phone

'Come on' Sandy chuckled 'Remember the time you asked me for a background check on your new neighbor because he was, and I quote 'the hottest goddamn thing you'd ever seen in your life'

Samantha blushed

'Erm.... Never mind that; she said with anger 'He said he and his brother were in Oklahoma and when he woke up he was here. He also said his friend is missing and that people are after them. Please.... please will you help me?' She huffed, feeling breathless and desperate.

'Ok, ok, I'll get dressed and come up in the morning' Sandy replied.

'No.... come now. He said he wants to go looking for his brother and chances are he'll be gone before the sun comes up' 

'Ergh.... the things I do for you' Sandy replied. 

'It might do me good to get away for a day or two actually. If I have to look at him and Vicky putting on any more fake smiles, I think I might puke' she said. Samantha could hear her get out of bed and stomp around.

'I thought he was leaving her?' Samantha asked

'He said he would' Sandy said with a quiver in her voice 'He told me he loved me and he was going to tell Vicky everything.... but apparently it will damage his image if he leaves his wife right in the middle of campaign season'

'I'm sorry darlin' Samantha replied. It was clear her friend was struggling. She'd been having this racy affair for months now and it had started to get pretty serious. All Sandy wanted was a chance to be with him properly and it the longer it went in, the less likely it seemed that would happen. 

Samantha always knew it would end badly and Sandy would get hurt. She always fell for the wrong guy. It didn't help that this time, the wrong guy happened to be the President and his lovely wife, one of Sandy's closest friends. 

'Bring wine' Samantha commanded

'Don't worry, I will. See you soon' Sandy said and hung up.

Samantha lay back into the covers and closed her eyes and gently drifted off to sleep.


	4. The closest thing to a friend

A few hours later, Samantha woke up shivering. She pulled a blanket round her shoulders and eased herself off the bed to look out the window. It was still dark out but she could just make out the rain drizzling. It pattered gently against the window. She wondered if Dean was out there and hoped to God he was ok. Poor Sam must be worried sick about his brother.

She decided to go downstairs and wait for Sandy. Chances are she would be here soon and she wanted to greet her friend with a hug and a warm drink.

She gently tiptoed down the stairs, treading carefully to try and avoid any sudden creaks in the floorboard. As she approached the living room she noticed Sam snoring in the chair and the fire had burned out but the room was still nice and toasty.

She went to the kitchen to boil the kettle just as Sandy's headlights flooded the room. Samantha went out to the front porch to greet her.

They wrapped their arms round each other and squeezed each other tight.

'Thank you for coming' Samantha said as she sniffed up, trying to hold back a tear.

'Oh no problem sweetheart' Sandy replied as she held her friend 'How's the book coming?'

'Ha' Samantha snorted 'It's not. I have four weeks to pull a draft together or I'm screwed' she said as she let go of her friend.

'It'll be ok' Sandy replied trying to comfort her 'We'll figure it out'

'How's the campaign going?' Samantha asked in return

'Ha' Sandy chortled 'I actually thought to myself on the drive down here, that I might just quit' and she turned her back and walked into the house

Sam had heard voices and woken up. When the two girls entered the room, they were met by him stood towering over the fireplace with his hands on his hips.

'Sam, this is Sandy' Samantha said.

Sandy extended her hand but Sam didn't respond. Sandy looked very official and it seemed to make him nervous. 

She wore her long dark auburn hair in a bun, was wearing a black pencil skirt with black court shoes and a white button down blouse. Her oval glasses hugged her face and she smiled at him to try and ease his nerves.

'Sandy, works for the government and I thought she might be able to help you find Dean and maybe your friend' Samantha said

'You work for the government?' Sam said in his rough tone. 

Sandy nodded. Sam pulled his lips together and turned his head away, chewing on his bottom lip and huffing slightly.

He said nothing.

'Can you give us a minute?' Samantha asked Sandy

Sandy looked at her friend and then at Sam, who was visibly nervous and upset. Sandy nodded and made her way upstairs to use the bathroom.

Sam paced the room

'What's the matter?' Samantha asked

'I can't be involved with the government' he said 'I.....I.....I gotta go' Sam said and picked up his jacket and sat down to lace his boots up

Sandy came back downstairs to see what the raised voices were about

'I'm sorry' he said as he shook his head 'I know you're just trying to help but I can't. I gotta go' and he stood up to leave.

'I could track your brothers phone' Sandy said quickly

Sam paused. Hand on the door

He turned to face her. His signature frown reformed across his brow.

He sighed

'Track his phone. That's all?'

'If that's all you want me to do' Sandy replied

'Nothing else, no background checks, no database searches. Just his phone?'

Sandy nodded

'Alright' he said begrudgingly and he handed her his phone with Deans contact number displayed.

Sandy quickly fired up her laptop, plugging in a signal booster and sat at the coffee table tapping away.

Sam shoved both hands in his pockets and shifted slightly from side to side as Sandy kept tapping.

'Where did you last see him?' Sandy asked.

'Just outside Garber, Oklahoma' Sam replied

Sandy went back to tapping at her keyboard.

Samantha hadn't taken her eyes off him the whole time. Every few seconds he would glance over at her as he nervously awaited the results of her search.

Puzzled she couldn't help but ask 'How can you go from being in Oklahoma one minute to passed out on my back porch in Iowa the next?' 

'In my line of work, anything is possible' he replied sheepishly

'And remind me again, what exactly is your line of work' she said with a suspicious tone.

'I'm sorry there's nothing coming up' Sandy said from across the room

The look of dread on Sams face was getting more intense as the seconds ticked by.

'That number doesn't even exist' Sandy continued

'What?' Sam said shocked 'Doesn't exist? That's impossible' and he walked over to Sandy and glanced at her computer screen.

'I could try another way but I'd have to search his name' she said

Sam nervously chewed his thumb again before replying 'Do it! I'll explain what comes up afterwards'

Samantha could feel her blood boiling. Every moment she spent with Sam just raised more questions and his vague responses and inability to answer the simplist questions was making her more and more angry. Although he didn't know her, she felt she deserved some sort of an explanation given that he'd held a gun to her head and she'd still let him stay.

Unable to hold herself together any longer she pounded off upstairs, unable to deal with any more of his crap.

Sam watched Samantha storm off upstairs. He knew he was going to have to tell her what was going on but first of all he had to find Dean.

He stood over Sandy as she loaded up her government search engine. 

'What's your brothers full name?' She asked

'Dean Winchester' he replied and he sat and watched the search bar rotate, rotate and rotate. After a few minutes it came back 

'No records found'

Sandy quickly seached for Sam Winchester without any hesitation. Sam couldn't stop her. But once again, the search came back blank.

'Huh' said Sandy 'That's strange. There's nothing...... for either of you. No birth records, no death records, nothing. According to the government, you don't even exist' 

Sam crouched down to look at the computer screen totally baffled. Sandy glanced at him over the top of her glasses. 

Sam and Sandy sat a few more minutes trying various different search options, date of birth, parents, even Lawrence Kansas, the place they were born, but nothing came up.

Both of them were baffled. Sandy got up and went outside to answer her phone and Sam sat glued to the screen, staring at the words 'No records found'

Had someone wiped their records? How could he explain the distance he had traveled in such a short space of time? What exactly was going on?

He rose from the floor where he had been knelt. He was overwhelmed by the fact he was totally on his own. He had no idea where Dean was or how he was going to find him. He glared out the window as the morning light filled the sky. He wondered if it had happened again?

The clouds covered the sky but he had surmised it was light enough to go looking for the car but first he needed to talk to Samantha, so he crept up the stairs.

He passed a door slightly ajar and saw her sat on the edge of the bed. He tapped lightly as he opened it 'Can I come in?'

He entered the room and pushed the door to behind him. Samantha was sat still with a tissue in her hand. His heart sank. He never wanted to upset her, he just didn't want to get her caught up in his mess but as he gently sat down next her he realized she was the closest thing to a friend he had right now and he should tell her what was going on.

Samantha sat in silence, refusing to even acknowledge he was there.

He cleared his throat and pushed his fingertips into each other, puffed his cheeks out and started talking.

'My brother and I are hunters' he began 'we hunt monsters and demons'

Samantha lifted her head to look at him. Completely taken back by what he was saying.

'What?!' She said before she could stop herself.

'We travel the country chasing monsters and demons and we kill them' Sam continued 'we do this with the help of Castiel. He's our friend, brother really, the one who is missing'

Sam sighed again.

'Castiel is an angel, not a very good angel, but an angel' 

'As in, an angel from heaven?' Samantha asked 

'Yes' replied Sam 'he has taken human form to help us. Castiel came to earth from heaven to help us. He and Dean have a...... connection.... Cas feels.... responsible for Dean and Dean for Cas' he stumbled and almost laughed 'it's hard to explain'

Samantha just sat and listened, finding it really hard to believe a word he was saying. Wondering how long it took him to concoct this elaborate story. Wondering if Sandy could have him committed.

'Cas is in trouble.... he did something and the other angels are looking for him. We think one of them might be controlling him'

Samantha just sat there looking at him. Not sure what to say, unable to form a cohesive thought.

Sam went on 'I think that somehow maybe I've been sent to a different, I dunno, reality to stop me from finding him. That's why I can't find Dean. That's why your friend can't find me on her government databases'

He paused. Looking at her he knew she didn't believe him. He realized how crazy it all sounded when he said it out loud. 

Samantha stood up and turned to face him. He looked up at her. He clearly believed everything he was saying and he spoke with such deep conviction it was hard not to believe him just a little bit. She enjoyed a good work of fiction, hell it was what she lived for but this was just just too insane to comprehend.

But the way he looked at her, the desperation in his eyes, the need he had for her to believe him was hard to resist.

Her head was screaming that it was all bullshit. Telling her to be logical, not to even entertain the thought of any of it being true but her heart was telling her that she needed to take a leap of faith. Something inside her had stirred the second she laid eyes on him and she felt a level of responsibility to help him, to look after him.

'So what do you want to do now?' Samantha said

He looked at her surprised. He expected her to laugh in his face, tell him to get out and to never come back.

'You believe me?' He said

Samantha held his gaze

'I don't know' she said 'but I feel like I should try and help you figure this out so..... what now?'

Sam shuffled a little and stood up in front of her. He hadn't really taken any notice of how pretty she was. Her brown hair hung round her face and her eyes danced as she tried to make sense of everything. He was grateful of her compassion and her attempt at understanding him.

'I'm gonna go look for the car' he said and he squeezed his body passed her and headed for the door.  
'I'll come with you' she said 'If you get lost you'll never find your way back' and she walked to the door too 'you can stay here till you find Dean' she said 'but do me a favor and just keep this between us for now' 

Sam nodded and they went downstairs together. Sandy had re-entered the house and was wheeling her suitcase in. It was obvious she intended to stay more then a couple of days.

'We're gonna go look for his car' Samantha said 'pick any room you want sweety and get some sleep'

'Ok' sandy replied wearily 'be careful. We'll try looking again later, Sam' she said with a half smile

'Thank you' Sam replied as Sandy dragged her sleepy self up the stairs.

As they stepped out the wind and rain hit them but they were soon under the covering of the trees as they made their way up the dirt track to the main road.

Sam kept his hands in his pockets, ducking his head under some of the lower hanging branches. 'Hey, is your friend ok?' He asked as they rounded a corner 'she seemed pretty upset with the call she got earlier'

Samantha huffed 'Guy trouble' she replied with a little hesitation 'Sandy has got herself in a bit of a pickle with someone she works with and she's trying to figure it out' Samantha hastened to give any more away about Sandy. Although Sam might not know who the president was, she couldn't risk him knowing.

Sam smiled a cheeky smile 'What about you? Why are you hiding in the mountains?' 

It was the first time he'd asked about her. It made her tummy flutter a little

'I'm not running away from a man if that's what you're asking' she said with a sharp tone.

'Hey, I never said you were' he said holding his hands up.

'Sorry' she quickly replied and glanced sideways at him 'No, I'm writing a book and have a serious case of writers block so came here to try and find some inspiration' 

'Have you found any yet?' He asked with a smirk and slightly cheeky pang in his voice

'I dunno yet' she said as she blushed and turned her head away from him.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the end of the dirt track Sam took time to stare off in each direction. The road in both direction was empty and there wasn't a car in sight.

'Does any of this look familiar?' Samantha asked

Sam shook his head defeated.

'What car are we looking for?' She went on

'A black 67 Impala' he replied 

'Nice!' Beamed Samantha with more enthusiasm then she intended

'Yeah' Sam responded 'She's our baby'

He looked around again but after realizing he had no idea where he was he turned round and headed back up the dirt track.

She ran to catch up with him

'I'm so sorry Sam,' she said as they walked side by side back to the house.

When they got back they were both soaked through. Samantha kicked her boots off at the door and Sam did the same. 

'Towels are in the closet at the end of the corridor, all the rooms are en-suite. Help yourself to any of them. I gotta shower and go to sleep' Samantha said without looking at him and headed off upstairs and into her room.

She heard Sam come upstairs a few minutes later, open and close the closet door and quietly shut the door of the room opposite hers. 

She sat on her bed again and pulled her wet clothes off and paddled into the bathroom. She turned the shower on and stepped under the running water, letting it warm her up and ease the tension in her neck shoulders.

A few minutes later she heard the bathroom door open.

'Sandy, is that you?' She asked as she turned round in the shower cubical

'No' came the husky reply

Samantha covered herself with her hands as Sam stepped into the bathroom wearing only a white towel round his waist. She could just about make out the definition of his arms and body. She turned to face the door where he was stood and she slid it back, gasping almost at the sight of his beautiful body and the way his wet hair clung to the side of his face.

Something once again stirred inside her and she took a step backwards, inviting him in. Before she could blink he had dropped his towel, stepped into the shower and had her face cradled in his hands as he firmly and passionately crashed his lips into hers.


	5. Holy s**t, he's Irish

Samantha stirred among the sheets. The sun had basked the room in a warm glow, she lay on her tummy and tightly hugged her pillow as she woke up. She took a moment to relive what had happened earlier that morning. She had never slept with a guy she just met but she felt she and Sam had a connection and for the first time in her life, had released her inhibitions and thrown caution to the wind.

A moment later she felt a soft hand move into the back of her neck and down her arm, then a weight press against her back and finally a soft delicate kiss at the back of her ear.

She rolled backwards, greeted by Sam's beaming face as his hair flopped forwards, hiding his eyes. She reached up and tucked his hair behind his ear, gently gliding her hand against the stubble on his face, she smiled back at him.

'Mornin' he said warmly and gently leaned forward, kissing her firmly on the lips. Samantha responded to his hungry lips and balled her hand into a fist in his hair, pulling him on top of her. Swept up in the moment, she felt like time stood still. She couldn't remember the last time she was kissed like that. Sam kissed her so purposefully, like he was terrified she was going to disappear, just like Dean had.

Caught up in the moment, neither of them heard the front door open and close. 

'SAMANTHAAAAA' came the billowing sound from the bottom of the stairs that seemed to echo around every corner of the house.

'Holy shit!' Samantha jumped 'It's Seth' and she pushed Sam off her in a panic. She launched herself off the bed, frantically pulling a t-shirt over her head and sweat pants onto her legs. 

Sam sat up and started to climb out of the covers.

'No' Samantha jolted and put her hand up 'just..... just stay there, let me deal with him. I'll be right back'

Sam smiled a toothy smile and rested back on his elbow. 'Alright' he said, knowing full well that the last thing he wanted was to get his ass kicked by a pro wrestler.

Samantha hurried down the stairs but Sandy had already beaten her to it. She was telling Seth off for shouting so loudly.

'It's almost noon, forgive me for thinking you'd be up.... and anyway, I wasn't looking for you' he snarled

'Hey!' Samantha shouted 'Don't speak to her like that. She's here because I asked her to come'

'Not that it's anything to do with you, you disrespectful little shit' Sandy interjected 'I see your time on the road hasn't improved your manners any' 

Sandy shot daggers at Seth, she was 5ft tall and even in her Pajamas, scary as hell. Seth stood a moment like a chastised child, fiddled with his man bun and then lurched forward wrapping Sandy in his big arms.

'It's nice to see you sweetheart' he chuckled. They both chuckled. Sandy hugged him back, even stood on her tiptoes she wasn't anywhere near his height but she squeezed him tight and replied 'You too, you petulant shit'

Seth belly laughed as he let her go and Samantha etched forwards and gave her brother a hug.

'I thought you were gonna call if you were coming down here?' She asked.

'I've been calling all morning but the phone is disconnected' Seth replied

'Oops' Sandy said as she raised her finger in the air 'left my laptop connected' and she hurried across the room to reconnect the phone.

'With all her "government gizmos", she better have brought decent wifi with her' Seth said sheepishly.

'I heard that' Sandy bellowed across the room. Seth simply laughed.

Sandy and Seth had a very tempestuous relationship. They have always argued like cat and dog, sometimes Samantha wondered if Sandy should have been his sister. 

Seth had a lot of time for Sandy. He thought she was a complete asshole but he knew he was too and she was the only one of Samantha's friends who could argue with, who gave as good as she got. Deep down, he adored her but would he hell as like ever tell her.

A weekend in the mountains with her would be fun and Seth giggled to himself as Sandy folded her arms, pursed her lips and gave him the disapproving eye over the top of her glasses.

Then the door opened again. In walked another chap wheeling suitcases.

'Oh yeah' Seth said 'I brought Finn with me' and he pointed to his friend who abandoned the suitcases in the middle of the floor and stood next to Seth.

Finn smiled, a brilliant beaming smile that illuminated the room and stretched out his hand to Samantha and then Sandy. Sandy and Samantha exchanged an approving glance.

'Hi' said Finn

Oh shit, he's Irish thought Sandy to herself. 

'Finn?' Said Samantha 'As in the same Finn you threw into a barrier three months ago and dislocated his shoulder?'

Finn burst out cackling, barely able to contain himself, he held his tummy, unable to stop. When he eventually caught his breath he turned to Seth and said in the most cheeky voice 'Ay like her, she's funny'

Sandy burst into hysterics too. Finn's laugh was infectious and although, Sandy had no idea what they were talking about, she couldn't help but get swept up in the moment. She took an instant liking to Finn and they both stood there laughing like they had known each other for years. Sandy was that kind of person, the second you met it was like you'd never been apart, familiar souls bonded through the ages.

'Come on Finn, let's make some coffee' Sandy said and ushered him to the kitchen. Finn responded in his Irish way, putting a hand in the small of her back, beckoning 'ladies first'

Samantha glanced over and caught Sandy's eye and in that moment they both knew exactly what each other was thinking. The friends chuckled, enjoying their inside joke.

'Why are you only getting out of bed at noon?' Seth asked 'You never get out of bed at noon' he paused, he sighed. Samantha said nothing. The rush of blood to her face and her vacant stare were enough for Seth to make an educated guess.

'Oh my gaawd, you've got a guy here don't you?' He drawled.

Samantha said nothing but then her eye twitched, giving the game away.

'Way to find inspiration for your book' he said and then he pointed his finger in her face, so close it almost touched her forehead 'Dirty Girl' he said half joking, half not. Samantha laughed and batted his hand out of the way.

'You guys good?' She asked as she took a couple of steps up the stairs.

'We're fine darlin' Sandy replied and Samantha took her leave, back to the beautiful man who was naked in her bed.


	6. Thank God it was you who found me

Sandy sat with Seth and Finn in the conservatory for most of the day. They drank coffee and played cards. Sandy knew absolutely nothing about professional wrestling so the boys took great pleasure in explaining every intricate detail of what they did. 

Finn was very animated when he spoke. Sandy couldn't help but notice that every time he explained something that he was passionate about, he practically flew out of his chair moving and bouncing around.

Seth was a little more reserved, he would laugh along with Finn's antics but never really joined in. 

It was obvious they were both athletes, their biceps bulged out of their shirts, they had great skin, nicely groomed facial hair. Sandy had learned that each played their own character, Seth was rugged and arrogant, which fitted him perfectly, especially with his long hair and thick beard. Finn on the other hand was graceful and mysterious. Again, Sandy thought it fit him well, his crystal blue eyes were mesmerizing and the way he ran his tongue over his bottom lip even made her stomach flip, and she was in love with someone else.

The boys were keen to explore a little, as much as their injuries would allow anyway, so Sandy suggested they walk half a mile up the trail and enjoy some fishing on the lake. 

Concluding that was a good idea, they changed into some hiking boots and borrowed the fishing rods from the shed. The weather outside was glorious, a million miles away from the rain and snow that was forecast.

Once they left, Sandy couldn't help but notice she was on her own, the drama with Samantha and the distraction of the boys had occupied her thoughts since she arrived but now she was on her own, he drifted back to the forefront of her mind.

She pulled her legs to her chest and hugged her knees, her long hair fell effortlessly across her pale shoulder as she sighed and rested her head on her knees. What was she going to do?

She'd worked so hard to get to where she was. Studied and worked her ass off to become Environmental Consultant for the President. Her career was everything to her, she had sacrificed so much for it. Her family, her home, sometimes, even her health. 

She was always jetting off somewhere but every few weeks she would make it home to Sioux City, spend a week with the girls and head off again. Her parents lived in suburban Ohio and spent all their energy keeping up with the Jones'. They didn't agree with Sandy's career choice, didn't feel it appropriate for a female to be in such a position of authority. Which was ludicrous and medieval in Sandy's eyes. Just because her mothers only goal in life was to be a miserable married Step-ford wife, didn't mean that was all Sandy was destined for.

Sometimes she felt bad for the way her relationship with her parents had gone but as they were unwilling to accept Sandy's life choices, she simply walked away. Her friends were her family. They understood the responsibility of her job and how much she loved it and always gave her unwavering support. She adored them all, even Samantha's ratty little brother.

Sandy had first met Misha at a climate change conference about five years ago, just before he became president. He made some wild comments about global warming being a myth and she took great pleasure in publicly tearing strips off him. The second he was elected, he recruited her because he "needed people like her to tell him like it really is"

She became close with him and his inner circle. In fact she and his wife, Vicky, regularly attended social and charity functions together, even went to the hairdressers together as time went on.

This was one of the things that was making this so hard. Vicky was nice, if a little dull and they were good friends. Misha had gotten bored of her. Sandy had her suspicions that Vicky was in fact trying to push Misha away, in the hope he would divorce her and she could walk away from the political spotlight with her reputation still intact.

Sandy was sure she was pilfering his money into some offshore accounts but she couldn't prove it and it was quite an accusation to make about the first lady without any concrete evidence.

Over the summer Sandy had watched tensions grow between Misha and Vicky to the point where she thought they might separate. It was at that point Sandy properly caught Misha's eye. He'd known her for years but as the distance grew between he and Vicky, the more he started to see Sandy in a different light.

Sandy didn't fight it. As much as she liked Vicky, she couldn't deny the chemistry between her and Misha. It culminated one summer evening with them screwing in the back of her car in the parking lot of a dive motel. And ever since then they would frequently sneak off to do it. One time they managed a night together at a swanky hotel but they had to check in under alias's and determined it was just too risky to do that again. 

Misha was distinctly recognizable in every possible way. He had a sharp chiseled jaw, short dark and perfectly pert and rosy lips. And when he smiled he scrunched his eyes up and had perfectly straight white teeth. You wouldn't forget his face, even before he came into office. 

Sandy knew she was playing a dangerous game by sleeping with him but she had fallen for him and there was no denying he had fallen for her too. 

The problem now was that he was campaigning for a second term in the Oval Office and his campaign manager had advised against anything that could damage his reputation, reduce voters confidence or instigate any kind of scandal. 

The last time they saw each other Sandy had sat on his lap with her arms round him as he sobbed saying he didn't want his wife anymore, he wanted her. 

Sandy wasn't a selfish person, she had to see the bigger picture, especially as he no longer could. So she took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. Resting her forehead against his, with tears in her eyes, she gently whispered goodbye. 

That was two weeks ago. She closed her eyes as she sat huddled in the chair, letting her mind drift back to the way his arms felt around her, the way that last kiss lingered on her lips, even now. God, she missed him but she knew that as long as he remained in that job, she could never have him and as long as she stayed working with him, the more she realized it would kill her. She had to make a choice, suck it up or walk away. The worst thing was, neither option gave her Misha and that is what hurt the most.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she pondered her choices. Give up everything, walk away and nurse her broken heart or stick with everything she had worked so hard for and feel the tortured wound reopen every day?

Poetic timing as Rox walked in the front door. Rox had spotted Sandy sat staring out the conservatory window as she pulled the car up alongside the house. She could tell her friend was in pain and she was 99% sure she knew why.

Without saying a word she pulled a chair up alongside Sandy and pulled her into her arms. Sandy clung to her friend and let the tears fall. It was the first time since she'd said goodbye to him that she'd properly cried and she was so grateful it was Rox who had found her.

'I'm guessing he didn't leave his wife?' Rox said as she pulled away and handed Sandy a tissue. Sandy simply shook her head and went back to gazing out the window. 

'I'm sorry honey' Rox said 'I'll make you some tea and we'll talk it out' and she got up to boil the kettle. Typical Rox, she had British parents and their way of dealing with any type of upset was to overdose on PG Tips.

'No more caffeine' Sandy insisted 'I've been drinking coffee all afternoon' 

'Who with?' Rox asked 'There's no-one else here' she glanced around 'in fact, where's Samantha? Ellie told me to meet everyone here on my way back from Des Moines' 

Sandy chuckled, which warmed Rox's heart after how upset she'd been when she first walked in. 'Samantha is upstairs with a boy' she uttered with a suggestive tone.

'WHAT?!' Rox blurted out 'Samantha? Our Samantha is hiding out in the woods with a guy?' Rox was struggling to contain her shock. It was so unlike Samantha to do something like that.

'What guy?' She asked

'Long story, but his name is Sam and he....is..... gorgeous' replied Sandy 'speaking of gorgeous, Seth is here....'

'Eeewwww Sandy' Rox interrupted 'I know you're upset... but Seth? Really?'

'Not Seth' Sandy replied 'Seth's friend' and she winked at Rox.

Rox's eye lit up. Sandy was always good at being her wing man, she knew exactly what sort of bloke she liked, tall, dark, rugged, built, sculpted but she was a sucker for chivalry, good manners and someone who could make her laugh. Rox had reached the stage in her life where she wanted to get married and start a family but she had been terminally single for years. The girls joked she was too picky but Rox always thought it was more that she knew what she wanted and wasn't prepared to compromise. Sometimes she felt like a walking contradiction.

So instead of boiling the kettle, Rox cracked open a bottle of red and walked back to her friend holding two glasses. Sandy chuckled as Rox raised her eyebrow. No further dialogue needed, the wine started flowing.


	7. Instant Attraction

Samantha and Sam had spent the afternoon in bed. They figured there was nothing else to do so might as well stay in bed and see how many times they could make each other come.

As the day started to draw to a close they elected to venture downstairs for some food. Samantha knew she couldn't hide from Seth and she had heard cackling coming from downstairs and wanted to know who else was there. 

Samantha got dressed as did Sam and they took their time to enjoy another long and passionate kiss before going downstairs.

'Can I ask you something?' Samantha asked Sam as they walked into the conservatory.  
'Sure' said Sam as he scooped his hair out of his face with his fingers.

'Can I hear some of your stories from the road?' She said with a flirtatious smile 'It might help me with my book' 

Sam wrapped his arm round her neck and pulled her close to him, gently kissing the top of her head.

'I don't think I'm in a position to say no to you right now' he replied as they parted, entering the conservatory to find Sandy and Rox and two empty bottles of wine.

Rox instantly jumped out of her chair when she saw Samantha and practically jumped on her. Samantha was so pleased to see her she picked her up and spun her round. Rox nearly fell over when she put her down, which triggered a bout of hysterical laughter from Sandy.

'This is Sam' she said, motioning to the man at her side.

'Hi Sam' said Rox as she stretched her hand out 'Nice to meet you, I'm Rox' 

Sam took her hand and gripped it firmly 'yeah, you too' he said in his husky voice

'You guys want a drink?' She said as she opened another bottle of wine.

'Yeah' they replied in unison as they went to sit down with Sandy.

Samantha was pleased to see Sandy smiling and the wine flush seemed to light her up.

Rox attempted to wrestle the cork out the bottle, smiling at the fact she had her friends together, and she did the front door opened and two guys walked in, covered in mud, holding a catch of fish.

The smell of pond water and fish instantly filled the room and Samantha was on her feet instantly laying into Seth about traipsing mud across the floors.

'Relax,' he said nonchalantly 'I'll clean it up' and he tossed the fish in the sink as he gave Rox a peck on the cheek.

'Hi Rox' he said as he washed his hands and then slipped his jacket off.

'Hi sweety, good to see you' she replied without looking up.

'You too' said Seth

And another voice filled the air.

'You need some help with that?' It said

Rox's ears instantly perked up and she snapped her head up to see where that beautiful accent was coming from.

Standing in front of her, on the other side of the counter, was Finn. Finn, with sodden hair, stubbled face and the bluest eyes she had ever seen.

Their eyes locked. Finn smiled at her and she instantly blushed. She could have kicked herself for being so obvious but he was gorgeous and she couldn't hide the fact that she instantly wanted to rip his clothes off. That and she was half cut.

She said nothing and slid the bottle across the counter for Finn to open. The concentration on his face distracted him for a moment. 

Rox sidestepped towards Seth and whispered 'I see you brought a treat' and she chuckled. Seth nudged her with his elbow and whispered back 'pretty sure he's available' and he left the two of them alone in the kitchen.

Finn lifted his head and handed the open bottle back to Rox. She smiled at him but blushed again 'Thanks' she said she dropped her eyes.

Finn couldn't help but feel endeared by her reaction. It had been a long time since a girl had reacted like that to him and a big beaming smile filled his face.

'Finn' he said.

Rox looked up and their eyes met.

'Rox' she said back nervously. 

They didn't say anything further, they just stood and looked at each other.

Finn could feel his heart beating in his chest. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her curly brown hair fell effortlessly over her right shoulder, she had high cheekbones that glistened when she smiled and her turquoise eyes looked like the bottom of a Caribbean rock pool. Of all the things Finn was thinking would happen during His vacation with Seth, meeting a girl like that was not one of them.

'You want a glass?' Rox asked in an unintentionally high pitched voice.

'Sure' Finn nodded and smiled again. 

He needed to stop doing that, Rox thought to herself.

She poured him a glass and slid it across the counter to him. He reached out to get it and for a brief second their fingers touched around the base of the glass. They both instantly felt a spark between them.

'You guys coming to sit down?' Seth bellowed from across the room.

Instantly pulling them out of their intense moment, they hurried to sit with their friends. Rox sat in the window seat where she had sat before, Seth had already occupied the seat next to her but after a fleeting glare from Finn, he bolted out of the seat and into a dining chair.

Finn smiled at Rox as he sat down next to her. She couldn't take her eyes off him. She held his gaze as he got comfy and stretched his legs out to rest on a dining chair. She pulled her heels up under herself and subconsciously sat leaning towards him.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Samantha and Sandy exchange knowing glances with each other. She simply narrowed her eyes and smiled at them, whilst Finn regaled Sam with pro wrestling stories. 

Sam didn't say much, he nodded a lot and smiled but it was blatantly obvious he couldn't keep his eyes off Samantha who was sat deep in conversation with Seth and Sandy.

'What time is everyone else coming?' Asked Rox 'Ellie said Thursday but didn't say when'

'I dunno' replied Samantha 'I'm not even sure who's coming'

'I'm sorry I'm early, I didn't see the point driving back to Sioux just to turn round and drive back again'

Rox was a journalist for a lifestyle magazine and had been working on an article about business women who commute and how this affects their work and personal lives. 

'Oh my god, you guys are wrestlers....' she blurted out 'I've been trying to get an interview with Stephanie McMahon for weeks now, can you help me?'

Normally Rox would be too shy to ask for any work related favors from anyone but her alcohol driven bravery had turned off her brain to mouth filter and the words had fallen out of her mouth before she had time to think.

Finn pulled his phone out and scrolled through his contacts.

'I have her number, I'll call her tomorrow' he said as he stuffed it back in his pocket.

'Oh thank you, thank you' Rox beamed and leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek.

As she pulled away she felt instantly embarrassed and dropped her head uttering how sorry she was.

Finn turned to face her

'Don't be' he said.

She slowly raised her head as he sighed and smiled. The spark between them grew and an intense feeling of anticipation was building inside Finn's gut

He leaned forward and put his fingers into the hair at the back of her head and firmly pressed his lips to hers, kissing her like there was no-one else in the room. She gently touched the arm of the hand that was in her hair, enjoying the feeling of his warm smooth skin against her palm.

'Well that didn't take long' Seth grunted from the other side of the table.

'Shut up Seth' said Sandy and Samantha in unison, causing everyone to laugh

'Y'all are so mean to me' he said and folded his arms in a huff. 

Finn jumped out of his seat and took two big steps around the table giggling 'awww do you want a kiss too' and he grabbed Seth's face and planted a sloppy kiss on the side of his face. Seth batted him off and everyone once again fell about laughing


	8. Resume the position

Finn resumed his position in the window seat, sitting just a little closer to Rox. She leaned up against him and he rested his hand on her leg.

The evening rolled on, bottle after bottle seemed to disappear. Sandy glanced around the table, smiling to herself. Time with the girls was just what she needed and it made her happy to see the way Sam and Finn looked at them both. 

She couldn't help but feel a little jealous though. Especially when Samantha got up to get more wine. Sam grabbed her by the wrist, scooped her into his arms and kissed her like he was never going to see her again.

Sandy had been mulling over his situation, trying to understand why she couldn't find any records of him. She had decided in the morning she would talk to him some more to try and work out what was going on.

The group laughed and told stories and the evening disappeared into twilight and then darkness surrounded the house. As the atmosphere settled Finn felt Rox's head rest on his shoulder as she fell asleep.

Samantha chuckled as she sat in Sam's lap and looked at Sandy. 'Someone needs to go to bed' she laughed. 

'I'll carry her to bed' Finn offered. 

Samantha and Sandy just glanced at each other gave him an approving nod. They liked how gentlemanly he was and if Rox was awake, she would have absolutely loved it. Finn was impressed by how devoted and attentive her friends were and how passionately they cared about each other.

Finn effortlessly scooped her into his strong arms, letting her head rest against his chest and he carried her upstairs and laid her down on a bed in one of the guest rooms. 

She mumbled in her sleep and instantly rolled over and started snoring. Even in her drunken state, Finn thought she was lovely and couldn't wait to get to know her better. He gently pulled her shoes off and wrapped her up in a blanket before retiring to another room and crashing face first into the covers.

The others followed shortly afterwards and within half an hour, the house was silent. 

Everyone slept, everyone except Sandy. She laid staring at the ceiling. She couldn't help but think about Misha and wondered what he had been doing that evening.

She thought about texting him but she knew she had to be strong, so after much back and forth in her mind, she rolled over and pulled her eyes tight shut in an attempt to get some sleep.


	9. Do you believe in magic?

As usual Finn woke early. Ever since he was a kid, he'd woken up with the sun. His shoulder felt tight and a little swollen which aggravated him. He was due to start physical therapy in two weeks and needed it to settle by then. He wondered if carrying Rox up the stairs had tweaked it a little. As that memory came flooding back, he decided it was totally worth it.

He pulled on some shorts and running shoes and gently padded down the stairs.

He was surprised to find Sandy up, sat in the kitchen drinking coffee. 

'Mornin' he said as he yawned as he helped himself to the freshly brewed coffee.

'Good morning' Sandy replied without looking up.

'You alright darlin?' Finn asked as he sat up on the counter next to her.

'Uh hu, couldn't sleep' she responded and bit her lip.

'C'mon, I'm a good listener' Finn said sweetly, instantly in tune with how upset she was.

Sandy liked him very much, she'd only met him yesterday but got the sense he was a really decent guy and she felt quite comfortable talking to him. But she couldn't, not about this, it was too risky.

She smiled and sighed but said nothing.

'Fair enough' he said defeated as he jumped down off the counter and started to stretch his legs, getting ready for his run.

Sandy stood a moment and watched him. 

Finn glanced back over his shoulder at her. 'You wanna come running with me? He asked 'Bit of fresh air and exercise might help you burn off whatever it is that's bothering you'

Sandy mused for a moment before deciding that it was in fact, a good idea.

'Yesss' she said enthusiastically and quickly ran upstairs to get changed.

When she returned Finn was already doing sprints across the drive so Sandy stretched a little and the two ran off up the trail into the woods.

Half a mile in they paused at the lake where Finn and Seth had gone fishing yesterday.

They caught their breath and stretched a little. Finn sat on a large boulder, closed his eyes and breathed in heavily. 'It's so nice here' he said feeling quite contented. The injury had knocked him for six, his surgery had been complicated and he was only at the beginning of his recovery journey. But there was something about this place and the people he was with that reinvigorated his spirit.

He didn't move, sat perfectly still, letting time pass effortlessly.

Sandy stood next to him and took a moment to enjoy the morning sun.

'Do you believe in magic?' He said quietly

Sandy smiled and huffed a little 'I'm a scientist, I tend to believe in facts and figures' 

Finn opened his eyes and looked at her as she adjusted her hair tie.

'You should give it a try' he replied 'This place is magic' and he closed his eyes again and raised his face towards the sun

'I guess' she replied reluctantly

'It is' he said firmly 'You know what else is magic?' He asked

She said nothing

'The bond you have with those girls' he went on 'It's really special. You guys are living proof that there's more to life then what you can see'

Ooof, what a line. 

Maybe he was right. Sometimes she had conversations with them without saying a word and maybe it was time to step away from logic. It might be the only way to figure out this mess with Misha.

Then out of nowhere she started to think about Sam. Maybe the way to help him was to abandon logic and search for an explanation beyond what she knew.

Sandy grinned and took off running at pace further down the trail. The rustling of leaves disturbed Finn's peaceful meditation and he bounced to the floor and ran after her.

Sandy couldn't stop thinking about what Finn had said. His words stuck in her mind. They rounded the corner in the dirt track and Finn glanced over at her and said 'Race ya' and in an instant they were sprinting towards the house.

When they reached the front porch they were giggling like teenagers, totally out of breath. Sandy's head was swimming, she felt much better for a run and for some easy company but her good mood was instantly shattered when she noticed the black car with tinted windows parked in the corner of the drive.

'You have got to be kidding me' she said.

Finn looked at her puzzled. 'What's wrong?'

Sandy looked at him and then past him to the car 'You go on ahead inside, I'll be right there' she instructed.

Finn did as she asked but with hesitation. He knew a handful of people who traveled in cars like that and he knew what type of people they were. 

Once inside he shouted for Seth and Samantha and pointed out the window at the car, still completely in the dark about what was going on.

Samantha came running downstairs attempting to button her shirt up. Seth was already in the kitchen but they both joined Finn by the window.

'Shit, it's Misha' Samantha blurted out. And bolted out the front door leaving Finn and Seth even more confused.

The car window rolled down, slowly, so slowly. Sandy could feel her heart beating in her chest. It finally lowered to reveal Misha, looking tired, teary and like he hadn't shaved in days.

Sandy's heart sank.

'How did you know where I was?' She asked, breaking the intense silence.

'I always know where you are' he purred back at her. He pulled his lips into a straight mouthed attempt at a smile and he slightly narrowed his blue eyes. 'Can we talk?' 

Without thinking she instantly responded with 'Yes....... but not here' 

She leaned down towards the window and placed her hands on the door. He moved his face towards hers trying to touch the tip of his nose against her cheek. 'I miss you' he said softly.

Sandy pulled back and put her palm to her forehead and turned around as Samantha came up next to her. She said nothing and Sandy just looked at her and said 'I gotta deal with this' 

Samantha stood and watched her friend get in the car with the guy who was either going to make or break her and she felt utterly helpless as there wasn't a damn thing she could do.


	10. Aes Sidhe

Meanwhile back inside, Finn and Sam had started talking. Sam had been thinking about his situation for a couple of days and had come to see that if he wanted to get back to Dean, as much as Samantha wanted to help him, he needed more help. 

When Samantha came back inside, she was surprised to hear Sam opening up so much but when she realized what Finn was saying to him, she understood why Sam was talking to him and she sat quietly next to him and listened to Finn's story.

Sam sat with furrowed brow, lips pulled together as Finn spoke, his accent was rich and tuneful, he was an old soul in a young body.

'In Ireland, we grew up believing all the old tales' he began 'my grandmother told us stories about the Aes Sidhe'

'What's that?' Asked Sam inquisitively. Finn held his full attention

'The Aes Sidhe are a Supernatural race who live in a parallel universe' Finn said 'This universe is said to intertwine and co-exist with ours, it exists on the same plain as ours, we just can't see it'

'Huh' said Sam 'I've read a lot of lore about different dimensions, never heard that one' 

'So what do they say about the Aes Sidhe? Did they believe things could, I dunno, cross between the dimensions could we? Could I?'

'I dunno' said Finn 'some refer to the Aes Sidhe as fairies, some say they are our ancestors, some say they are different versions of ourselves, who knows'

'Huh' Sam said again as he sat back and chewed his thumb.

'My grandmother used to think the other universe was where ghosts and demons come from, as well as angels' Finn concluded.

Sam listened intently.

'What do you think?' Sam asked Finn

'My grandmother was incredibly superstitious and lived to be 98 years old' he said 'we used to joke she had a Sidhe angel watching her'

Sam laughed showing his teeth 'We all need an angel right?'

Finn chuckled too.

'There's gotta be something to it' Finn replied 'I was just saying to Sandy that there has to be more to life then what we see'

'Amen to that' Sam replied.

Finn squeezed his shoulder retired upstairs to shower, leaving Sam to ponder on what he'd said.

'You ok?' Samantha asked, gently rubbing his arm, pulling him from his daydream.

'Yeah' he replied 'Do you have a computer I could use?'

Sam spent the rest of morning glued to the computer whilst Samantha prepared for the arrival of the rest of the girls. She hadn't told Seth who was coming and he hadn't asked but she surmised he already knew it would be Ellie.

Now Sandy had fixed their wifi and internet problem Finn and Seth were content to spend the day catching up on wrestling and lounging about. Rox, slept.....a lot. They took it in turns going to check on her but she was pretty much out for the count.


	11. I told her everything

Misha had driven down the dirt track and was taking the road back to the freeway.

He and Sandy sat in silence. Tension growing between them. Sandy awkwardly fiddled with her hair, running her hands through it, pulling it over her shoulder. She hadn't got changed after her jog with Finn, she'd hopped straight in his car with only her phone.

The minutes passed by.

Misha sideways glanced at her periodically. He had so many things he wanted to say to her but didn't know where to being. He cleared his throat and puffed his cheeks out, trying to steady his nerves.

After nearly half an hour Sandy couldn't take the silence anymore and bravely broke the tension by asking 'Are you going to say anything to me?'

Misha was concentrating on the road but he turned his head slightly and replied 'I have lots I'm going to say to you' 

Sandy didn't respond

'I have a motel room on the freeway, we'll be there in a few minutes'

Again she said nothing and when they pulled into the car park, she simply followed him into the room he had reserved.

When he pushed the door open Sandy knew instantly that he'd been there for at least one night. There was a bag, some empty food bags and his laptop.

The room was as nice as you would expect on the side of the freeway but Sandy didn't care, all she wanted was Misha.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face in his hands before looking up at her. His blue eyes glistened with tears as he once again cleared his throat. 

Sandy walked towards him and pressed her knees up to his. Instinctively he wrapped he arms round her thighs and rested his face against her belly. She snaked her fingers into his hair and held him tight. She closed her eyes as he pressed his cheek further into her. 

As much as Sandy wanted to stay in that moment she knew she couldn't so she pulled back but Misha tightened his grip on her, unwilling to let her go.

She placed both her hands on the side of his face, pulling his face up to look her.

'I told Vicky everything' he said quietly as he gazed into her eyes.

'I told her I didn't love her anymore and that I felt she didn't love me either.' He paused for a moment.

'I told her about us. Told her that I was in love with you. That I wanted to be with you'

Sandy felt an incredible feeling of relief wash over her. However she could see the pain he was in, it was all over his face.

Sandy moved from his embrace, this time he didn't resist. She sidestepped and turned round, sitting next to him on the bed. 

He turned to face her.

'I'm so sorry it's taken so long. I should've done it months ago. I know that'

Sandy took his hand in hers and rested it on her lap. She smiled reassuringly at him. 

He loved to see her smile. It made this all seem worthwhile.

'How did she take it?' Sandy asked.

Misha licked his bottom lip and returned the smile, almost chuckled as he replied 'Well, she was angry and she shouted a lot' he scrunched his eyes a little 'I'm not sure how appropriate it is for the first lady to use some of the words she used' 

Sandy huffed out a laugh too.

Misha raised his hand and rested his palm against Sandy's face, stroking her gently with his thumb. 

'She said I was right, that she didn't love me anymore' he paused 'but then she said that I'd never keep the office for a second term if I left her'

Sandy pulled his hand away. 

But she didn't get chance to say or do anything else as Misha leaned forward and kissed her firmly. 

He pulled away and rubbed his lips together.

'So I told her that was fine. And I quit. I told my campaign manager today I was withdrawing from the race and I tendered my resignation with immediate effect'

Sandy was furious. She stood up in anger and screamed at him.

'JESUS CHRIST MISHA WHY DID YOU DO THAT?'

She started to panic. What had she done?

'I never asked you to do that. I would NEVER ask you to do that'

She could feel her chest tightening, her heart pounding.

Misha stood up to face her. Glaring at her.

They were frozen on the spot.

'I can't keep living a lie' he said 'and what exactly am I doing this for right now? Huh?'

'So people like Vicky can live a life of luxury whilst I'm miserable? So people like that ass Wayne can abuse positions of authority and break the law under my nose?'

Sandy had no response.

'I wanted to be president to make the country better, to make the world better. You. Are. My world. And if I don't have you, what the hell am I fighting for?'

Sandy had heard all she needed to hear. Without any further hesitation she wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him with as much love and passion as she could summon.

He kissed her back, wrapped his arms tight around her waist and pulled her body snug against his.

He spun her around and fell on top of her, pushing her into the bed. His hands all over her, his lips desperately and feverishly crashing into hers. 

He took her breath away. 

His hand moved down her body and onto her thigh which he wrapped round his waist as he pushed his hips into hers.

She moaned a little, thread her hands back into his hair, welcoming every fiery kiss that landed on her lips, her neck, her throat.

He looked at her as he pulled his lips away slowly.

'I love you' he said softly 'I've always loved you'

'I love you' she replied before pulling his face back to hers and kissing him softly


	12. Who the hell is that?

The hours ticked by and Samantha had finished making up the beds in the other rooms for the rest of the girls. She couldn't remember the last time they were all together. They had all been to the B&B just not at the same time. She was very excited. She just hoped Ellie and Rox wouldn't mind sharing.

When she came back downstairs Finn and Seth were making spaghetti bolognaise in the kitchen and Sam was still staring into the laptop screen. But something about him wasn't quite right, his demeanour had changed, the color had drained from his face and he looked like he had seen a ghost.

'Oh my god, are you ok?' She said.

Her voice startled him and he almost jumped out of the chair.

'Who the hell is that?' He said pointing to a picture of the screen. His eyes and mouth were wide open

'That?' She said 'Really?'

Sam shook his head

'That's Misha Collins' Samantha replied

Sam shook his head

'He's the President.... you don't know who the president is?'

'He's NOT the president' Sam replied 'He's Castiel, my friend who is missing'

'Noooo, he's definitely the president honey' she replied

'Don't patronize me' Sam said angrily. 'I'm telling you, that is Castiel, he's an angel'

Sam was shook, deeply.

'He's who Sandy is with right now' Samantha blurted out, instantly regretting it

'He was here?' Sam almost shouted 'he was the guy in the car?' He motioned towards the window.

Sam stood up, knocking the chair flying. He grabbed his coat and pounded towards the front door, stepping out and slamming it so hard it made the glass rattle.

Samantha was about to go after him when a voice came up from behind her.

'Let him go' Finn said

Samantha hesitated and looked him

'He's having a hard time, you should let him get his head together' Finn smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder and ushered her towards the kitchen.

She knew he was right but the thought of Sam leaving made her stomach drop. She glanced over her shoulder out the window as his silhouette got smaller. She just hoped he would come back.

She thought about calling Sandy but figured she had enough on at the moment. She'd had a text from her saying everything was ok, she and Misha were working things out and she'd be back tomorrow.

Once again Samantha felt helpless. Finn tried to distract her, which was very sweet of him but for the most part it didn't work. Seth kept cracking wise ass jokes, thinking he was funny but the more he spoke, the more his voice got on her nerves. 

She was actually grateful for hungover Rox practically falling in the kitchen.

Rox had just about managed to shower and dress herself and had half arsed pulled a comb through her hair. That was about as much adulting as she was going to be able to manage today. She felt slightly embarrassed about kissing Finn last night and even more embarrassed that she doesn't know how she got to bed.

As she walked down the stairs she gave herself a pep talk, reminding herself to not make any more of an ass of herself. Then she tripped over her own feet and clattered into the kitchen to a chorus of laughter.

'Morning' she said as she composed herself.

'Afternoon' Seth corrected her 'How are you?' He asked playfully with a Cheshire cat grin

'Shut up Seth' she said and lightly punched him in the arm

'You want some coffee?' He offered

'Yes please darlin' she replied and pecked him on the cheek.

Much like Sandy, Rox and Seth had a funny relationship. They were the same age and had very similar character traits but Seth had a habit of pushing her too far and she ended up getting her feelings hurt. Seth was trying though. Trying not to do that anymore. He felt really protective of her, he felt that way about all Samantha's friends, all of them except Ellie.

The only thing he felt for Ellie was a deep need to rip her clothes off and pound his cock into her for hours on end. The thought of Ellie had him halfway hard and he knew the second he laid eyes on her he would want her. She could make him come simply by entering the room.

Samantha beckoned Rox over to sit with her to wait for the rest of the girls. Seth handed the cup to her and she pulled it to her mouth. Keeping her eyes on Finn who was stood with his back to her stirring the pot of bolognaise.

He turned round and wiped his hands and leaned over the counter towards her.

'Hi' he said softly 'how did you sleep?'

Rox instantly felt butterflies 

'Like the dead' she replied 'I'm not drinking again'

Finn chuckled. She had noticed before but when he did that he bit his tongue. Christ that was hot, she thought to herself.

'Listen' he went on 'I was tinking I might go for a wander up to the lake, d'ya wanna join me?' 

'Definitely' Rox replied in a hushed voice 'Just let me have my coffee'

Finn winked at her and resumed his position by the stove.

Rox and Samantha sat a few minutes chit chatting about Sandy and Misha and a little about Sam. Rox wondered what was really going on with that guy but figured Samantha would tell her when she was ready.

As Rox swigged down the last of her drink, Finn glided up beside her and asked if she was ready to go. Samantha wished them a pleasant walk and Rox's chair was immediately filled by Seth.

They sat together and watched Finn open the door for her and rest his hand in the small of her back as he helped her down the front steps.

'I give it a year' Seth said

'Give what a year?' Samantha questioned

'Before we're going to their wedding' he sighed


	13. Here come the girls

A minivan pulled into the driveway. Samantha laughed at how many cars were parked out front. Her Aunt would have hated it.

First ones out the car were Louise and Hayl who were arguing. Full on yelling at each other.

'Hayl, I have told you a thousand times, you gotta stop dabbling into this stuff, you're either gonna get yourself killed or drag Satan himself out of hell' 

Louise was furious with Hayl. Her face was almost as purple as her hair and she even had steam on the inside of her glasses.

'But I'm so close I can feel it' Hayl yelled from the driveway as Louise pounded up the stairs towards Samantha

'I need wine and to get away from her' she said and she instantly pulled a bottle from her bag, threw the lid off and started drinking.

Nova had driven and followed closely behind her shaking her head.

'You ok sweety?' Samantha said as she pulled her in for a hug 

'Four hours, four god damn hours of them arguing like children' she sighed 'I'm gonna sit out back where I can't hear them anymore'

Vanessa followed with her headphones in. Dancing away she was completely oblivious to what was going on around her.

Samantha loved that about Ness, she didn't have a care in the world. It was liberating and endearing. She hugged Ness who headed straight off upstairs to unpack. She had chronic OCD and would be up there for at least two hours before anyone saw her.

Next up the steps was Ellie, who had clearly dressed to wind Seth up. Her top was so low cut even Samantha blushed.

'Jeez Ellie, boob ahoy!' Samantha laughed

'Oh shut upp' she said 'now where's your brother, I'm gonna fuck his brains out' she said with such confidence the entire room fell silent.

Seth was halfway up the stairs, with a smarmy smirk on his face, watching the chaos unfold. He had folded his arms across his muscular chest and clearly heard everything Ellie had said.

'You always enter someone's house like that?' He said as he descended the stairs. 'Someone some teach you some goddamn manners, you filthy bitch' he said as he walked up to her, purposefully invading her personal space.  
'Yes. They. Should' she replied and bit her lip, which gave Seth an instant hard on. He grabbed her wrist and in the blink of an eye they had disappeared upstairs.

'Nice to see you too Ellie' Samantha chuckled as Hayl and her big bag of who knows what came up the stairs.

Hayl huffed and dropped her bag and pulled Samantha into the tightest squeeze she'd ever had.

'Hey you' said Hayl as she let her go.

'You gonna tell me why Lou is mad with you?' Samantha asked

'I'll tell you why' Lou piped up the second she heard her name mentioned. 'Lil miss dabble over here, thinks she can mess with space and time'

'Ok, you're gonna need to explain that one' Samantha said.

'Look, I'm not dabbling' Hayl protested 'I've been working on this for months'

Samantha shook her head puzzled.

'I've been working on a way to open to door to alternate dimensions'

'Oh come off it Hayl' Lou snapped 'you can't do it. It's not possible and even if it was, it's dangerous'

'Using a combination of science, energy, magic and a various other things, I think I can do it and do it'

'Hayl, there are some things you just shouldn't mess with' Lou said a little more calm

Hayl rolled her eyes.

'Y'know, she whispered to Samantha 'deep down I reckon she wants me to do this so I can pop into another dimension and bring back Misha Collins body double'

Lou blushed and scowled at her before walking away in a huff.

'Oops' said Hayl playfully 'Guess I touched a nerve'

Samantha rolled her eyes at the pair of them and looked off into the distance, wondering if Sam was coming back anytime soon

Samantha joined Lou and Hayl in the conservatory.

'Where's Lucy?' She asked 'she said she was coming'

Nova re-entered the room having taken a few minutes to gulp in some fresh air. She was wearing blood red lipstick that made her look fierce. She pulled up a chair and sighed.

'Lucy is another big barrel of crazy today as well' she said 'and she'll be here soon. She and David are driving up together'

'Why is that crazy?' Asked Samantha

Hayl interjected 'They have this role-playing thing going on' she said with a smirk.

Nova giggled too. 'I love how feisty they still are, even after 4 years being married but my god.......' she trailed off 'Lucy had him develop this weird alter ego called Arthur Ketch, Mr Ketch, Ketch is Fetch, you'll hear all about it. And he has to stay in character the whole time he's here'

Samantha and Lou nearly fell off their seats laughing. Which in turn made Nova and Hayl laugh too.

'Oh this should be good' said Lou.

'Just wait till you hear his back story' Nova said through her perfect smile. She always jostled her shoulders when she laughed, like she never truly let it all out but they all knew when Nova found something really funny and that in itself was enough to erupt everyone into cackles of hysteric laughter.


	14. Do you want to remember?

Rox led the way out of the garden of the B&B and up the trail into the woods. The walk to the lake was only about half a mile. The sun was beating down on them and Rox was tempted to divert from the trail to explore a little but knowing how quickly the weather can change in the mountains, she decided against it.

Finn followed a couple of steps behind. He watched in quiet admiration as her hair swished across her back as she walked. Every few minutes she would look back over her shoulder and ask if he was ok. He was so enamored with her, he thought to himself that he would've followed her anywhere.

The trees rustled in the light breeze and the bird song was in full force. Finn was once again overcome with the feeling of magic and electricity these beautiful surroundings invoked in him. He hadn't always bought into the old stories his Grandma told him about the veil and the gateways to other worlds but he knew that places like this made it all much more likely.

When they got to the lake Rox led them to a grassy clearing at the side of the water. She checked the grass with her palm and happily sat down when she was satisfied it was dry. She stretched her legs out and rested back on her hands, letting the sun wash over her face and her hair fall carelessly down her back.

Finn swiftly joined her, sat next to her and bent his knees, resting his arms on them. He looked to his right at Rox and their eyes met. He smiled a big toothy smile and diverted his eyes away to watch the sun bouncing off the ripples on the water.

Rox smiled too, dropping her head as once again, without saying a word, he'd made her blush.

They sat quietly for a while, feeling content to watch the light change as the clouds passed.

Finn cleared his throat nervously.

'So, tell me about you' he said inquisitively.

'Not much to tell' replied Rox as she sat up and crossed her legs and began fiddling with a blade of grass between her fingers.

'I moved to Iowa from England when I was 13. My Dad is in the oil trade. When he retired my parents moved back to England. I stayed here with my job and have pretty much devoted all my time to that since'

'Do you miss them?' He asked. 

Rox was a little taken back by such a straight question but the feelings that were stirring inside her towards Finn made her want to skip small talk and get to the good stuff.

'Yes and No' she replied 'Normally I'm so busy I don't get time to think about it..... But then something will happen and I'll want to go running to tell them..... but I can't. That's the hardest part'

'Yeah, I get that' he replied as he turned slightly towards her 'My parents are back in Ireland. Even with phones and video call, sometimes they feel a million miles away' 

'Yeah' Rox replied. He carried a hint of sadness when he spoke of his parents.

'That's why I'm so close with the girls, y'know. Sandy and Samantha are like my Mum and Ellie is my twin sister and the others are my other siblings'

Finn smiled again

'You're very lucky. I have Seth and a couple of other guys I'm close with. We keep each other going' he said 'but going home to an empty apartment in Orlando isn't that much fun'

'I can imagine' Rox replied and then hesitated a moment to catch a nervous breath 'you can always come back here with Seth and hang out with us'

Finn smiled again. A big beaming smile.

'So what happened with your shoulder?' Rox asked

Finn pulled in a long breath through his teeth.

'Seth and I were having a match' he began 'and he threw me and I landed wrong. Pretty much ripped my arm out of its socket'

'Ouch' said Rox sympathetically, unable to take her eyes off him

'Yeah... and like an idiot, I popped it back in and carried on. Turns out that it wasn't as simple as a dislocated shoulder. I ripped all the tendons in my shoulder, peck and bicep' he started pointing at all the places that were damaged 'I was in surgery for seven hours'

'Jesus, that's horrendous' said Rox in shock.

'Yeah, it's been rough' replied Finn 'but it's coming right now' and he rotated his shoulder and pulled at his neck

'I think I tweaked it carrying you up the stairs last night though' he Chuckled.

Rox instantly felt awful. 'You're kidding?' She said desperately 'oh I'm sorry. It won't delay your recovery will it?'

He shook his head 'No' he replied softly 'and besides...... it was worth it'

Rox blushed again.

Turning in the grass to face him, she got lost in the way his blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

'I'm sorry about last night' she said 'I don't normally drink that much'

'It's ok' Finn replied 'It was kinda funny'

'I also don't go around kissing guys I barely know, especially when I'm so drunk I hardly have any recollection of doing it' Rox dropped her head in embarrassment. Almost too scared to look at him

There was a long pause. Everything seemed to fall silent. Rox was begging him to say something, anything, in response. She so wanted him to like her and couldn't shake the feeling that she'd made such an ass of herself and it was never going to happen. 

'Do you think you would want to remember kissing me' Finn eventually replied as he looked at the grass between his legs.

Rox tilted her head to the side and caught his eye for a split second.

'Uh... yeah' she replied firmly.

Finn took in another deep breath through his nose and fully turning round to face her in a moment of bravery. He could tell she was nervous and slightly hesitant. She hadn't looked up for a few minutes.

Rox kept her eyes firmly on the grass, not daring to look up at him.

'Hey' he said softly 'look at me'

Slowly she lifted her head and was met by a warm smile. He leaned forward slightly as a cheeky smirk formed in the corner of his mouth.

'Why don't you kiss me again. Hopefully this time you'll remember it'

Rox's heart was pounding in her chest. Slowly she leaned forward towards Finn. His eyes narrowed as she slowly closed her eyes. As her lips pressed gently into his, he ran his fingers up into her hair at the back of her ear, pulling her close to him. Their lips moved effortlessly against each other. Every passing second increased the intensity to the point where they couldn't pull themselves away from each other. Their lips crashed together, Finn pulled her onto his lap, pushing his hand into her back, molding her body against his. She held his face as he kissed her deeply, her hair falling around her face. She melted under his touch as he brushed her hair behind her ear, never moving his lips away from hers.

Part of him wanted to flip her over and have her right there and then and part of her would have let that happen but their moment of passion was quickly interrupted by the gentle pattering of rain that had started to fall.

They pulled apart but Rox remained straddled across his lap.

They smiled at each other, Rox rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes.

'Where have you been hiding?' He said playfully 'I feel like I've been waiting for you forever'

She cupped his face and kissed him again.

'I could ask you the same thing' she replied as she pulled away but still keeping her lips lightly pressed to his.

'We should get back before we get soaked' Rox said and jumped to her feet. She held out her hand which Finn took and he also jumped to his feet.

The rain was now pouring but Rox and Finn stood deadlocked, just gazing at each other. The rain had started to drip into her hair and had already drenched Finns shirt. Droplets of water hung off the tips of his jet black hair and he shook his head a little to stop them rolling down his face.

Unable to contain the deep feelings of desire burning within them, they were once again lip locked, their arms around each other, their bodies pressed up together so intricately, it was like they were made for each other. The rain continued to fall but they were lost in their deep embrace and oblivious to the thunder in the background and the torrential rain now pouring down.


	15. Ness

Having spent the last hour and a half locked away arranging her room, Ness decided to join the others. She hadn't seen them properly since she broke up with Aaron. They'd all checked in with her every day which she was grateful of but they were probably going to want to know what happened. She wasn't sure how she was going to tell them that he'd cheated. 

They hadn't been together long but long enough for feelings to develop. 

'Who the hell does he think he is?' She thought to herself. 'How dare he cheat on me' 

Vanessa had always prided herself on being a strong independent woman and it took a lot for her to finally commit to someone and even entertain the thought of bidding her single life goodbye. That's what made this so hard. Yeah her feelings had been hurt but it was her pride more then anything. She should've just kept their 'fuck buddy' status intact and not given in to anything else.

She pulled her hoodie on and put her baseball cap on and headed for the bedroom door. As she quietly walked down the corridor she heard a rhythmic knocking which stopped her in her tracks. She glanced around the corridor and focused her ears, trying to make out where the sound was coming from.

Then she heard it. The sound that would haunt her for the next month. A gruff, breathless voice growling 'Yeah you like that?' And then a shrill female voice holla 'fuck me like that'

'Oh for fucks sake Ellie' Vanessa said out loud and ran down the corridor and down the stairs with her hands over her ears.

She ran into the corridor in a fluster and was greeted by Samantha, Nova, Hayl and Lou.

'What's wrong honey?' Asked Lou

'Ellie......Seth......aggghhhhh'

Everyone erupted laughing.

Samantha looked longingly out the window, becoming increasingly agitated by Sams absence and also mindful that Rox and Finn were out there in the rain.

Samantha received a text from Sandy saying she was spending the night at the motel with Misha and that she'd be back the following day with some supplies.

She was glad they were working things out and wondered if he might come up with her. That would be interesting. Lou had never met Mr Collins and Sandy had never given away much detail about their affair but Lou thought he was the most beautiful man on the planet and always giggled like a school girl when he was on the TV. I think a part of her was jealous of Sandy but at the same time, her attraction was more of a school girl crush, what sandy and Misha shared was much deeper then that.

Since arriving Hayl had spent most of her time with a glass in her hand and her face in her phone. Every now and then she'd let out a 'hmmm' or an 'aha' but then disappeared back into her own little world.

Ness and sat next to Nova and instantly got into the Aaron situation, which quickly caught the attention of Lou and Hayl to some extent. 

Samantha listened intently to her friends talking but was still so distracted by her thoughts of Sam. She did however breath a sigh of relief when Rox, completely sodden Rox walked in the door. 

'Hey sunshine' she said as Rox kicked her shoes off and rang out her hair over the welcome mat.

'Hi guys' Rox hollered across the room and was met with a chorus of 'hey babes' from her friends who wanted to come and hug her but also didn't want to get soaked.

'Where's Finn?' Samantha asked

Rox pulled her hair into a bun and quickly pulled her wet shirt over her head, replacing it with a dry one Hayl had thrown at her.

'He's on the porch, we bumped into Sam on our way back' and she smiled at Samantha and squeezed her shoulder. Rox left Samantha in front of the door and went to join her friends who instantly wanted to know all about Finn.

Rox sat down, determined not to touch a drop of alcohol. The others were not so committed, even Ness was on her second glass. Nova had pulled out her nail polish and was giving Lou a manicure whilst Ness chatted away.


	16. I can't lose something before I've had the chance to have it

Sam had caught up with Finn and Rox on the porch. He had been walking for hours trying to figure things out and had some ideas on what to do but he needed help and had gone back to the B&B to talk to Finn. He also felt bad for walking out on Samantha. As much as he wanted to find Dean and Cas, a part of him wanted to stay with her too. He was very conflicted and wore a deep frown as he thudded up the steps.

'Hey man' said Finn as Sam shuffled and shoved his hands in his pockets.

'I'll leave you guys to talk' Rox said as she squeezed Finns hand.

'Hey' Sam huffed in his low velvet voice.

'Listen, I've been thinking about what you said and how it might link to Dean and I... I think I need to try and open the portal. At least try and contact him, even if it's just to let him know I'm ok' Sam said.

Finn pulled his lips together and ran his hands through his hair.

'I get it man, I do' Finn said 'but we're in the middle of nowhere. How exactly are you gonna do this? How do you know it will even work?'

'You gotta help me' Sam pleaded 'I can't do it on my own and you.... you get it. You feel what this place is'

Finn nodded. He did know. He knew exactly what Sam was talking about. He knew there was something about this place. But he had never encountered anything like this before. Deep down. He was scared.

Finn frowned back at Sam. He could see the desperation in his eyes and couldn't help but feel a responsibility to at least try and help him.

'Alright' He finally replied 'I'll help you'

'Thank you' said Sam quietly as he took a step past Finn towards the door 

'But you gotta do it right' Finn interjected 'I need to know nothing bad is gonna happen, to you, to me, to anyone' and he glanced through the door in time to see Rox pull her wet shirt off 'I can't lose something before I've had the chance to have it'

Sam rested his hand on Finns shoulder.

'I promise. I promise we'll do it right'

And he left Finn on the porch.

Finn couldn't help but notice another car in the driveway and he wondered just how many people might end up here. He also mused to himself that there must be a reason why so many people were drawn to this place at the same time. 

At least he knew why he was here and he smiled to himself as he replayed the moment by the lake over in his mind.


	17. Forgot to let him go

When Samantha saw Sam she couldn't help but throw her arms around him. He was so tall and she had to stand on the very tip of her tiptoes to put her arms around his neck. He spread his strong hands across her back and shoulder and buried his face in her hair. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief to be back with her and the way he held her, she knew he was sorry for walking out in a huff.

Finn came in from the rain and darted upstairs to get changed but quickly returned in sweatpants and a black t-shirt and instantly made a beeline for Rox who was sat in front of the roaring fire. 

Samantha caught a glimpse of them. Finn sat close to her and pressed his nose into the back of her neck, whispering something that made then both giggle.

She had held onto Sam for so long she had almost forgotten to let him go. As she pulled away he dipped his head and sniffed up. 'I gotta find Dean' he said as he shuffled his coat off. 'I know' she replied 'I'll help you, just tell me what you need me to do' and she slid her finger across his face, moving his hair out of his eyes. He closed his eyes, enjoying the way her hand felt against him.

Hayl and Ness had taken it on themselves to sort everyone's food and were busy in the kitchen tending to the large pot of bolognaise on the stove.

Lou and Nova had stayed in the conservatory catching up and no-one (except Ness) had heard from Ellie and Seth.

Samantha encouraged Sam to sit and eat before they figure out how they were going to contact Dean. Who was in another dimension. That thought still baffled Samantha but she was taking a leap of Faith.

Sam was content to listen to the girls talk. Who knows maybe one of them might say something that would help him. They were a mixed bunch of characters but even he couldn't help but notice that together they were a fortress. And that made him miss Dean even more


	18. Who doesn't want to get f**ked in the woods?

Nova and Lou had opened a second bottle of wine and the nail polish had been put away.

'I just don't know what my next move is' Lou said as Samantha sat the table next to her.

'Your next move with what?' She asked.

'With her job' Nova said before giggling in her trademark way.

Lou was beautiful. Model beautiful. She had perfectly curly ringlets, high cheek bones and a perfectly curved body. She had been working as a plus size model for years and had a steady contract with Victoria Secret. She had even walked the catwalk during New York Fashion week. She was stunning and fearless and her friends absolutely adored her.

6 months ago, she broke her leg in a ski-ing accident when on location in Canada and although she was now fully recovered she felt she'd reached a bit of a crossroads. She'd been offered an amazing contract extension with Victoria Secret and even started to develop her own clothing line.

The girls loved the goth sheek looks she had been pulling together and Hayl had even modeled some of her items for an exhibition but Lou was feeling bored and restless and wasn't sure whether to step away from modelling to pursue her clothing business or in fact sack it all off and do something different.

'You could always buy this place' Samantha joked. 'Run it as a B&B but turn some of the rooms into studios and sewing rooms'

'You could film porn here' said Hayl as she approached the table, arms laden with bowls of food.

Everyone erupted laughing. Even Sam

'I'm serious' she continued 'They're always looking for quirky locations to film in..... and who doesn't want to get fucked in the woods?' 

Sam laughed so hard bolognaise almost came out of his nose. And everyone else erupted laughing, so loudly Rox and Finn had come through to see what the commotion was about.

'What's so funny?' Rox asked

Ness was holding her stomach and couldn't even stand up straight. Nova was crying with laughter. Lou huffed and huffed and eventually said 'Hayl reckons you could film porn here because everyone wants to get fucked in the woods' 

And they all erupted laughing again.

Finn sat down and ran his finger round the top of a bowl of sauce before putting it in his mouth to suck it off.

'Based on the noise coming through the ceiling, I think that's what Ellie and Seth are doing upstairs....filming porn'

Everyone once again erupted in fits of hysterics. To start with Finn didn't realize how funny his off the cuff remark was but when he noticed Sam thrown back in his chair unable to contain his laughter, he soon twigged on.

Everyone sat down to eat at the big table in the middle of the room. A feeling of contentment and family washing over them as they ate and laughed together.

An hour went by. And another car pulled up outside. It's headlights flooding the room.

'How many more people are coming up here?' Finn asked Rox quietly.

'This will be Lucy and David. And they're the last' she replied. Something about the growing crowd seemed to make not only Finn but Sam anxious. 

Sam was battling constantly in his mind about how he was going to contact Dean and Finn somehow was picking up on it. He and Rox has sat by the fire place in the conservatory cuddled in the plush armchair with a blanket wrapped round them. Rox nuzzled her face into Finn's stubble in an attempt to calm his nerves. For the most part it seemed to work. She felt his body relax a little bit underneath her and his arms squeezed a little tighter.

Hayl, Ness, Nova and Lou were playing cards round a table whilst Sam and Samantha cleaned the dishes talking quietly.

And then David walked in.


	19. Ketch is Fetch

Well David sort of. He looked like David and it was David but he was dressed funny. He was wearing a black pinstripe suit, white shirt and a blue and white checked tie. Over the top was a formal dinner jacket and he walked into the house and glanced around, raised an eyebrow and adjusted his cuff-links.

'What the hell are you doing?' Hayl blurted out.

'Oh Hayley, must you speak that way? It's so....depraved' he said in a very odd British accent.

'What has she done to you?' Croaked Ness from over her glass.

'Ladies, my name is Arthur Ketch. May I present to you..... Lucy' and he opened the door, pressed one arm to his back and motioned her in with the other.

'Allow me to take your bags' he said and reached out his hand towards Lucy, who swung the suitcase handle swiftly into his firm grip. There was a huffed chuckle echoing from the sitting room where Sam and Finn were sat but neither Arthur or Lucy acknowledged it

David, aka Arthur followed Lucy closely as she walked across the room. Every now and then he would nip her bum and pull his tongue across his teeth with his mouth closed. Lucy giggled. Finn and Sam glanced at each other smirking and the others in the room played along. They were used to Lucy and David's character role playing but this British one was a bit out there, even for them.

'That'll be all for now Mr Ketch. If you could take my things upstairs and wait for me in the bedroom, I'll be along shortly' and she patted him in the arm.

'Of course' he replied, again with the accent 'I must keep you apprised on the case I'm working on. Don't be too long dear. It's not going to....solve itself' he said raising his eyebrow again and slightly tilting his head forward.  
Lucy giggled again, her glasses nearly falling off the edge of her nose.

'Good evening ladies and gentleman' he said before swooshing his coat round and disappearing up the stairs.

'Seriously Lucy' said Lou as she handed her a glass of wine.

'I know it's a bit....different but the second that accent comes out of his mouth.....' and she bit her lip.

Lou smiled and gave her friend a hug. 

'Look, guys, it's been a long drive and I'm knackered. Can we catch up in the morning? I just need to sleep'

Everyone gave her a hug and she followed David upstairs.

Lucy and David had been married 4 years. They had met on the set of a TV show. He was an actor and she was a props manager. The character David played only lasted one season before being killed off but Lucy still worked on the show which was filmed in Vancouver. 

They had taken the decision to move there and were waiting on the completion of the house they were buying. This meant that any day now she would get the call and it would be goodbye Iowa, hello British Columbia.

For the most part the girls were happy for Lucy but Nova was having a particularly hard time with the imminent move.

Lucy and Nova had known each other since high school. Nova lived across the street from Lucy and from the moment Lucy moved in they had been inseparable. Lucy didn't have any brothers and sisters and Nova was the youngest of four. She liked being Lucy's older sister as they made their way through high school and even through college. 

They both went to Morningside College in Sioux City. Lucy studied Art and Design whilst Nova studied languages and ultimately became a translator in the department of immigration. A job she was put forward for by Sandy.

Nova had married young but her and Lucy had stayed close to each other. They still lived near each other and saw each other nearly every day. When Lucy first got the job on the TV show Nova would fly to Vancouver every couple of weeks to see her and if not Lucy would fly back to Iowa but when Lucy met David, the visits started to drop off. 

Nova had just brushed it off, said it was fine, life was moving on and she and her husband were thinking of starting a family anyway. She was Lucy's maid of honor just like Lucy was hers and they promised that no matter what life threw at them they would always find their way back to each other.

But when they told Nova about the move it upset her deeply. So much so they hadn't really spoken the last couple of months and there was a bit of an awkward vibe between them from the second Lucy walked in.

Nova hadn't told Lucy or in fact anyone about the struggles she and Dmitri were having with trying for a baby. She felt bad for keeping it a secret but at the same time didn't want to burden anyone with her problems. It was between her and her husband and was for them to deal with. She also knew Lucy would want to stay and take care of her and Nova didn't want to hold her back.

Feeling suddenly overwhelmed by all the thoughts spinning round herself, Nova excused herself to bed before the alcohol took over and she said something she would later regret. 

Ness wasn't far behind her.

Hayl and Lou had got back into it over Hayl's determination to open a portal to an alternate dimension. This conversation started out as a joke and a bit of Lou poking fun at Hayl but it quickly escalated and once again they were shouting at each other.

Samantha got up to try and calm them down but they were really tearing into each other. Sam came over to try and help too but when he realized what they were actually talking about he slammed his hand down on the table. Causing such an almighty thud that everyone instantly fell silent. He pulled up a chair and sat the wrong way round on it. He rested his arms on the back of the chair and looked Hayl dead in the eyes and said, without any room to protest 'you need to tell me everything you know'

The table fell silent as the four of them sat down and talked much quieter then they were before. 

Rox yawned 'I'm gonna turn in' she said and she got up, letting the blanket fall to the floor. She leaned over and kissed Finn. Finn smiled at her. He didn't think he would ever not smile at her.

'Good night' he whispered to her as she walked across the room, waving good night to the room.

Finn turned his attention to the four people sat at the table. He wanted to see if Sam needed any reinforcement but after catching his eye and being on the receiving end of an approving nod, he concluded he was fine and left them to it.

When Finn got to the top of the stairs he noticed Rox stood outside her bedroom door. He approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her.

'What's wrong?' He whispered as he glided up along side her.

She chewed her thumb a little and turned to face him.

'Ellie and I are sharing a room' she replied 'but I think she's already got a room mate for the night'

Finn shuffled and gently cleared his throat. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and tapped his toe a little. Without looking up he uttered 'You could share with me?'

'Ok' Rox said without hesitation. 

Finn took her hand and led her to his room. Before Finn turned the handle, Rox spun him round and pressed herself up against him, crashing her lips into his. He grabbed her hips and pulled her into him, kissing her deeply. He fumbled with the door handle and they fell into the room. They had pulled each others shirts off before the door had even closed and with a thud Rox fell onto the bed with Finn's weight instantly on top of her.


	20. Castiel is it?

Back in the conservatory the conversation had stepped up a notch. Sam had told Hayl and Lou about his situation, as far fetched as it sounded, Hayl belived him and now Hayl was on board, Samantha started to fall into things more. Lou, although apprehensive, was along with the ride. 

Lou was starting to wish she wasn't bored and restless because ordinarily she wouldn't entertain anything like it but after the wine she had consumed and fuelled by curiosity, she went along with things.

Hayl and Sam had specifically talked about what they needed to attempt to open the portal to communicate with Dean and Hayl had gone to her bag to retrive the items she thought they needed. A combination of herbs, lambs blood, bone fragments.

It baffled Lou that Hayl carried this stuff around with her but she also remembered it was Hayl and she shouldn't be surprised.

Hayl spewed out all she knew and all she had practised to date. She talked about how they had to create enough energy to create a portal or a "rip" between dimensions. She also talked about how doing this had the potential to let things through as well as allowing things to pass the other way. 

She had researched wards to contain anything coming through but hadn't yet discovered what could create enough energy to create the rip to start with.

Sam explained that in his world, a biblical event could do this, ie the apocalypse or a really powerful angel could transport beings at will.

Sam felt defeated. This world didn't seem to hold the same magic as his and even if it did, this world wasn't in tune with it like his was.

Samantha gently placed her hand on his arm. He glanced up at her with a furrowed brow before he rose from his seat and started pacing the room again.

Hayl and Lou sat in silence watching Sam become more and more agitated.

Minutes ticked by

Then Sam spoke

'What about Misha?' He said finally

'Misha?' Questionned Hayl

'Yeah,' Sam went on 'He looks like Castiel. Maybe he's this worlds version of Castiel. Is there a way we can connect them?'

Sam paused.

As he did Hayl nearly jumped out of her chair.

'There is a spell. A blood spell' she said excitedly 'There's a ritual that when performed will link you to your kin, your blood, regardless of space and time'

Sam smiled. Actually smiled

'Yes' he beamed 'My grandfather used it to find us before.....But would it work across dimensions? When I saw it used before, it moved people in time?'

'Yes, it will' replied Hayl 'It connects blood across space and time. It wouldn't work with Misha and .... Castiel?' She asked.

Sam nodded

'They are technically the same person, just different versions of but it should reconnect you and Dean'

The more Hayl and Sam spoke the further Samantha's heart sank. She knew Sam needed to go back to his brother but she instantly felt an aching in her stomach as it would clearly mean she would never see him again. 

Sam being here appeared to be nothing more then a cosmic accident.

But what could she do? Go with him? That was totally out of the question......or was it? And if she did go, would she ever get back?

She snuck out of the conversation and gently tiptoed up the stairs.

The night had drawn in and blackness surrounded the building. None of them had noticed the rain turn to snow and they were all quite unaware of the speed it was settling on the ground.


	21. That's it!!!

Sam continued to talk, trying to recall the details of the blood spell as Hayl wrote things down and scrambled through her back pack.

Lou was idly thumbing through a few of Hayl's books, quite obviously fed up of the conversation and struggling to keep her eyes open.

She leant back in her chair and cleaned her glasses on her shirt and let out a disapproving and slightly frustrated sigh.

'Please feel free to go to bed if you're bored' snapped Hayl from inside her bag.

'Oh come on' Lou said exasperated 'This is so ridiculous, I can't believe we're even doing this' she concluded and angrily started flicking pages of the book in front of her 'Please tell me how reading about Demons and Dream walking is helping or if any of this is even real'

'What did you say?' Barked Sam

Lou paused

'I'm sorry Sam, you seem like a nice guy but all of this....' 

'No, no, no' he interupted 'that phrase you used.... what was it?'

'What? Dream walking?' Lou replied

Sam grabbed the book over the table and quickly read the page about dream walking

'That's it!' He exclaimed

'What's it?' Said Hayl and Lou in unison.

'Dream walkers have the ability to communicate with and visit other realities. Depending on the level of ability the dream walker has, depends on the level of interaction. Some can merely observe, some can communicate and some can influence or be influenced by the alternative world'

Sam could barely contain himself

'If I can talk to Dean through his dreams to at least let him know I'm ok, it'll buy me some time until I can figure out how to physically get there'

Hayl jumped up clapping and smiling.

Lou was still very sceptical

'Know many Dream Walkers do you?' She said sarcastically

Hayl said she would give it a try. All she needed was some African Dream root and something belonging to Dean.

'Just hold your horses' Lou said sternly 'Let's just think about this for a minute'

Sam and Hayl listened intently

'We need to make sure we know exactly what we're doing here.... We need to understand what could happen..... We're also totally fried and full of alcohol. Doing this now is a bad idea. I.....I couldn't stand anything bad happening to you' she trailed off.

In that moment Hayl finally understood Lou's behaviour. She finally realised that Lou in her own way, was trying to protect her.

Sam nodded and gruffly whispered 'She's right, we should talk about this some more with a clear head in the morning'

He left the room leaving the two girls alone in the conservatory, stood beside the dying embers of the fire.

Lou had gotten chocked up and was trying to hide her face as tears filled her eyes.

'Come here' said Hayl and wrapped her arms round Lou. Lou squeezed her tight and her leather jacket scrunched but didn't hold there too long, as even after all these years, she hated feeling vulnerable.

Lou took half a step back and shook herself, slightly annoyed she'd shown her soft side.

'I get it' Hayl said 'and I'm sorry. I promise I'll be careful'

'You better be' Lou replied 'I'm not looking after your mother or that dog if anything happens to you'

Hayl laughed, as did Lou. 

For the first time that day, they finally understood each other.


	22. Love Unspoken

Sandy and Misha spent most of the night reconciling and reconnecting. It was hard to let someone go and then let them back in again.

Sandy felt like she was walking through a thick fog.

Misha lay bare chested with his hand behind his head and Sandy lay pressed up against him, her hand gently resting on his chest with her eyes closed but still awake.

She felt his chest gently rise and fall as he burrowed his face in her hair making whispered happy noises as he breathed her in.

He knew he'd made the right decision and he was determined to shield from any backlash as a result of it. He just hoped she felt how much he wanted her.

He glanced at his watch. 

3am. 

He didn't care what time it was, he'd lost all concept of it the second he laid eyes on her.

Slowly she sat up next to him, keeping her hand resting on his chest. She took a moment to really look at him and try and comprehend the gravity of what he'd done just to be with her.

Misha looked up and met her gaze and they sat in silence for a moment.

There is nothing more powerful then a moment filled with love unspoken.

He grinned his toothy smile at her, the one that made the little creases at the side of his eyes deeper and Sandy couldn't help but chuckle too.

'I'm going to the vending machine' she uttered finally, swinging her legs off the edge of the bed and quickly pulling some clothes on.

Misha rolled over, propping his head up on his hand.

'Hurry back' he said cheekily as she exited the dark motel room.

The air outside hit Sandy like an arctic blast.

'When did it get so cold?' She thought to herself as she wrapped her arms round herself and padded down the concrete corridor to the drinks machine.

Having purchased 2 cans of Dr Pepper, which hurtled out the machine, she pretty much sprinted back to the room and into the warmth of Misha's arms.

'It's so cold out there' she said as he took her in his arms once more.

Misha had been reading the weather forecast whilst she left the room.

'There's a snow storm coming. We should think about getting out of here' he said very matter of fact, as he slowly ran his fingers through her hair.

'I can't leave' she exlaimed 'the girls are staying in the mountains, I need to get back up there. Chances are it's already snowing and they'll be running out of food and firewood'

Misha smiled. He'd almost forgotten about the girls. He'd whisked Sandy away with only the clothes on her back and he knew she was right.

'Ok,' he said thoughtfully 'let's go stock up and try and reach them. At least if we're up there we don't have to hide' 

She leaned over and pecked his cheek. It was so important that he understood her friends and made her love him even more that he wanted to take care of them too.

Within minutes they were packed up and on the road. Sandy had found an all night grocery store about 20 miles away and they were soon there filling shopping carts with all the things Sandy thought they would need. Everything from toothpaste to wine to firewood. Misha threw it all in the trunk and put his foot down as they made their way back up the freeway.

During the drive Sandy told Misha all about the girls and their escapades. Even told him about Sam and his situation and they debated what they could do to help him.

The darkness was thick and unforgiving and as they turned off up the mountain road, the snow lightly started to fall. Misha chewed his lip nervously as they made their way up the mountain road. Sandy could sense his unease as the snow fell thicker and lay a little deeper. It would take at least another hour to reach the B&B and they both prayed they would make it before the weather got any worse


	23. No you don't.....but thank you for saying it

Ellie stirred, a cold chill washed over her pulling her from her deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes as she came to and pondered how she had once again let Seth sex her into a coma.

Not that she was complaining but she was mildly irritated by the gutteral snore emanating from him and the way he'd passed out on his stomach with his dead weight arm draped over her, all but pinning her to the bed.

She grunted and threw him off her and flung herself out of bed. Not only was she freezing but she was totally starving. She pulled layer after layer of clothing on, making no attempt at being quiet.

'Come back to bed' Seth muttered as he pressed his face into the pillow.

'I'm starving' she snapped back at him as she pulled her thermal socks on.

She was super irritable when she was hungry and she had to stop herself being mean to Seth, who seemed contended to sleep for a week.

'Do you want anything?' She asked in a softer tone.

Seth grunted again and rolled over.

'I'll come down with you' he replied 'I need to eat too'

He flicked the light on as he sat up and hurridly pulled his clothes. He glanced around looking for his bag, before he remembered he'd left it with Finn. His big jumper was in it and he felt like he needed it.

Ellie smoothed her hair and adjusted herself and pressed herseld up against Seth as she tried to ease past him.

He stopped her, pushing her up against the wall with his hips. He drove her crazy, he always had. He ran his tongue around the inside of his bottom lip and dropped his head without saying anything. 

An awkward silence fell between them.

Seth felt an overwhelming sense of affection for her in that moment. Yeah she drove him crazy but deep down he knew how much he cared for her.

He'd felt this churning in his gut before, felt the way his heart fluttered when she was pressed up against him but he was normally such a coward he would never tell her. This time was no different. He released the hold he had on her and took a step back.

Ellie stood a moment, wondering what exactly was going through his head. The great mystery of Seth continued.

She took a couple of silent steps away from him.

And then a sudden surge of bravery swept over him and before he could stop himself he blurted out, 

'I love you, you know that right?' And in pure embarassment he dropped his head to look at the floor, letting his hair fall round his face to cover his red cheeks.

Ellie's immediate knee-jerk reaction was to laugh, which she instantly felt guilty about.

She glanced over her shoulder to gauge the sincerity of his proclamation. She had hoped to meet his eyes to understand the truth of what he'd blurted out.

But he didn't look up. 

Why say something like that and not even look up. 

She felt so angry

'No you don't' she replied dejectidly as she pulled her hair back off her face 'but thank you for saying it'

And she turned the handle and exited the room before he had chance to expand on it further or take it back.

'What a pussy' she thought to herself as she left him alone.

Seth was on his own and he felt exposed, vulnerable and incredibly foolish for what he'd said.

'Yes I do' he whispered biting his lip and shaking his head. Ellie wasn't always known for her patience, especially when it came to things like this. Seth knew he would have to try and have this conversation with her again as he'd be playing it over in his mind forever but for now he had no choice but to let it be.

Her footsteps became faint as she walked down the corridor and Seth was now faced with the task of entering the room where Finn was sleeping to retrieve his sweater.

Seth was notoriously clumsy and he could already feel his heart pounding as he approached the door.

To his surprise it was locked. Why would Finn lock the door? He thought to himself.

For a split second he entertained the idea that Finn had Rox in there with him but he quickly rejected it. He'd known Finn a long time and Rox even longer and there was no way they were in there together. The thought of it made him laugh a little whilst he made his way downstairs to the kitchen.


	24. Cas?

Downstairs Ellie had entered the kitchen and was reheating the bolognaise left overs and Seth took a moment to look out the conservatory window, going over how he might actually sit down and have a proper conversation with her. It was impossible when almost every moment spent with her made him want to rip her clothes off. It was a few moments later he noticed the white blanket of snow that had coated the front yard.

'When did it start snowing?' He said outloud and for no particular reason. He and Ellie hadn't seen anything of outside since she arrived and yesterday was glorious sunshine.

Typical mountain weather.

'What time is?' Seth asked as he approached the kitchen counter where Ellie was now pouring food into bowls for them.

'It's just after four' came a voice from the darkness. 

Ellie's eyes widened in horror. She gripped the ladle tight and raised it above her head. Seth chuckled but was perfectly calm and collected as 6ft Sam and his ruffled hair appeared from the shadows.

Ellie hadn't met Sam yet and Seth hadn't got round to mentioning him. To Ellie, he was a total stranger and for all she knew, an axe weilding maniac. But luckily Seth gave her a nod of reassurance and a sly half mouthed smile, which eased her nerves slightly.

She lowered her ladle and once again brushed her hair out of her eyes. How could he not love her? 

She sat down on a stool at the counter and began picking at her food. She kept her eyes firmly on the unfamiliar man walking towards the

Seth's attention moved back to Sam

'Sorry, did we wake you?' Seth said

'No, I was already awake' Sam replied 

'Did my sister evict you?' Seth questionned playfully as he took a huge mouthful of food.

Sam huffed and laughed a little, scrunching his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck.

'I think she's mad at me' he replied pulling up a stool to sit by the counter.

Ellie's eyes were wide with shock. Her mouth had fallen open and her spoon clattered into the bowl when she dropped it.

'You're here with Samantha?' She shrieked

'Kinda' Sam replied

Seth rolled his eyes and pulled up a stool beside him knowing full well what was coming next.

'Ellie. Sam. Sam Ellie' he said and before he could say any more Ellie was bombarding them both with questions.

During their conversation Seth realised he knew very little about the guy who'd been sleeping with his sister and Ellie noticed him quickly flip to protective brother mode. 

She reached over and squeezed his hand. He looked up at her with his big brown eyes and in that moment, Ellie almost believed what he said earlier.

Sam was about to go into some of the details about his situation when headlights flooded the room.

'Who the hell is that at this time of day?' Ellie said and the three of them jumped up to gaze out the front window.

The snow was falling thick and fast now and was settling in drifts up against the parked cars and the shurbs around the house.

Two hooded figures exited the car and ran up to the front porch. 

'It's Sandy' beamed Seth as he lept up to unlock the front door.

The howling wind blew it open, making it bounce on it's hinges and in came Sandy, Misha and thick flurry of snow.

'Hey guys, can you help me get this stuff out of the car?' Said Misha, who was shouting over the noise of the wind.

Seth and Sam did as asked and were quickly in coats and boots running back and forth to the car, that within 5 minutes had an inch of snow settled on top of it.

'I can't believe we made it back up here' Sandy said as she peeled her wet coat off and kicked her boots up against the door.

There were bags of groceries everywhere and Seth had quickly taken it upon himself to move the boxes of firewood into the living room. He figured it was the closest he was going to get to lifting weights this week.

When he rejoined the party by the front door, a tense ans eerie atmosphere had fallen on the room.

In the chaos and noise of the moment, Sam had totally forgotten who Sandy was with but as Misha stood in the hallway, brushing snow off his jacket and running his hand through his jet black hair, Sam quickly remembered.

The colour drained from his face. He took a big gulp which moved his adams apple all the way up his throat. His knees went weak and his heart started pounding. He clenched and unclenched his fists, completley frozen on the spot.

He wanted to speak. He opened his mouth but nothing came out apart from a slight huff of air.

As the silence grew, he finally managed one word.

'Cas?'


	25. Do I know you?

No-one responded to Sam.

He stood staring at Misha, paralized on the spot.

Sandy looked up at them both. Not knowing what to say or do. Misha glanced down at her for some direction but when he was met with a blank stare, he became nervous.

He looked back at Sam, who wore a look of shock and desperation. Misha had never heard that name 'Cas' before but when Sam uttered it, he felt an odd sense of what he thought was familiarity but stronger.

He blinked slowly and pulled his mouth into a straight smile.

Sam's mouth was open slightly but after catching his breath a moment, he pulled it shut and cleared his throat again.

Misha's eyes narrowed and a puzzled look took over his face.

'Do I know you?' He blurted out

Sam laughed a little.

'Urm....' he didn't quite know what to say as he laughed again and briefly dropped his head, inhaling deeply.

'No' he replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of his crimson jacket.

Misha outstretched his hand.

'Misha' he smiled nervously 'Nice to meet you'

'Yeah' Sam replied 'you too' and grasped the mans hand firmly, looking him dead in the eyes.

Misha's puzzled look lingered. As he held Sam's hand, he couldn't shake the feeling they had met before.

'Are you sure we haven't met before?' He asked. 'You seem so familiar'

Sam said nothing. A thousand vivid memories raced through his mind. He felt like he was looking at his friend, at his brother but not the one he knew.

Castiel was in another world, another timeline, another universe. This man, simply looked like him. Sam kept repeating to himself over and over 'He's not Cas. He's not Cas'

Sandy and Misha began busying themselves sorting through groceries as Sam stood by them, stuck in a vivid day dream. Sandy had figured this was the only way to difuse the awkwardness and bring Misha's attention back to her.

Ellie and Seth had frozen on the spot on either side of the small party. Ellie had no real idea what was going on but was able to sense the need to remove herself.

She caught Seth's eye and he beckoned her into the other room. Without anyone noticing they left the other three and returned to their food.

Seth attempted to tell her about Sam but as before he remembered he knew nothing about him.

Sandy offered Sam her room to get showered and he gratefully and speedily accepted. She wanted him removed from the situation and he needed a minute to collect himself. He wanted Hayl to get up so they could get to work trying to reach Dean. He wanted so badly to get back to him. Now Samantha was done with him he didn't see the point in hanging around. 

Although surrounded by people, he'd never felt more alone. Even when he and Dean were fighting they still had a job to do and they still talked and were still together. Sam didn't have that here.

He hadn't noticed Seth creep up the stairs behind him and wasn't until he reached the bedroom door and glanced over his shoulder that he realised he had been followed.


	26. What's your deal, man?

'What's your deal, man?' Seth said

'I'm sorry?' Sam replied as he stood back up.

Seth was tall but Sam was taller and there was something about Seth that intimidated Sam a little. Maybe it was his voice or his rough shaven look or maybe even the muscles that appeared to buldge out of every part of him. Whatever it was, Sam knew he didn't want to end up on the wrong side of him.

'I come up here to see my sister and I find you....who I know nothing about' Seth boomed 'And everyone is whispering and walking on eggshells round you like you're this big secret'

'Look' Sam gruffed back 'I don't want any trouble man'

He narrowed his eyes and squared up to him, both men puffing their chests out.

'You think I want to be here? ..... I really don't..... I need to find my brother and I'm gone' he didn't realise he'd raised his voice.

And he tried to turn the handle of the bedroom door but he was shaking so much, he couldn't grasp it.

'So what you just go around sleeping with girls and then boom, just like that, you disappear?'

'SETH THAT'S ENOUGH' bellowed Samantha from the door on the opposite side of the corridor.

She had heard raised voices and quickly realised it was Seth and Sam.

'Seth, I will fill you in on what's going on but for now, you need to drop it' she said, staring daggers into her younger brother. 

Seth gritted his teeth, clenched his fists and growled. He shoulder punched Sam as he walked past him and thudded down the corridor, slamming the door to the room he had shared with Ellie. She had come running up the stairs and charged past the other two without even acknowledging them. She entered the room with Seth and it all fell silent.

Samantha pulled her fingers through her hair and yawned. She looked at Sam who was visibly shaken but trying to hide it.

'You wanna talk?' She asked, turning on her heel and going back to her room. She left the door open for Sam to follow, which, after a moment of hesitation, he did.

Rox stirred but as she did, Finn's arms tightened around her.

'What was that?' She murmurred quietly pushing herself back against his bare chest.

'Don't know. Don't care' Finn replied as he kissed her cheek and they both fell back to sleep.


	27. Will you come with me?

Samantha flicked the table lamp on as she re-entered the room. Sam followed her in and sat in the wooden chair, his brow furrowed but his eyes wide and fixated on her.

'I'm sorry about Seth' she said and settled on the edge of the bed facing him. She wasn't totally sorry though. Seth always had the balls to shout about things that upset him, she sometimes wished she had that too.

She was more placid, more like their Mum. She was a gentle and kind woman who would do anything to avoid confrontation. Not like their father, would argue with anyone and nine times out of ten, he would win.

She looked back at Sam, looked straight into his troubled eyes, trying to be reasonable but her mind was racing and her heart conflicted. He was so attractive and she wanted him so much but she knew she shouldn't. She knew he didn't want her like that. 

Her heart sank.

'Don't be' Sam whispered 'he's only looking out for you' he laughed a little and paused as he glanced away.

'I know what its like to have a protective brother ready to kill anyone who even looks at you the wrong way'

He leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees.

'You really miss him, don't you?' Samantha asked, referring to Dean.

'Yeah' he replied 'but it's not just that' he went on 'Dean and I are better together. It's hard to explain' he sighed as he sat back, stretching one of his long legs out in front of him.

'He'll be looking for me and when he's looking for me, he forgets to look out for anything else' he went on. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.

Samantha wondered if there was ever a time he wasn't totally exhausted. She wished she'd have met him in a coffee shop or at a concert. She cursed the way they had met.

The light flickered a little. Samantha glanced around the room briefly looking at the shadows dancing on the walls. The snow was settling in and it would only be a matter of time before they lost power.

'I see' Samantha replied dejectedly.

'But that doesn't mean that this doesn't mean anything' Sam interupted attempting to smile.

He drew a long breath.

'This place. These people.....You... it's special and.... a part of me doesn't want to leave that' he said and stood up. 

He walked a couple of steps across the room, turned his back to Samantha and sighed again.

Samantha stood too, her brown hair falling onto her shoulders as she shook her head. She slowly touched his shoulder, startling him slightly and he turned to face her.

Their bodies were almost touching. Samantha could feel the sparks, the electrcity between them. She felt so connected to him and as much as he tried to fight it, he felt it too.

Sam cleared his throat.

'If I.. find a way back to Dean... um.. will you come with me?' He asked with a shake in his voice.


	28. Maybe we'll get stuck up here forever

Although the commotion in the hallway had stirred everyone, they slept on.

Samantha hadn't replied to Sam. She had gone downstairs to escape his question. She sat on her own by the fire debating the response she would give next time she saw him. 

The fire roared and the minutes turned into hours. Slowly daylight started to flood into the house.

Around 7, the house started to come to life.

Nova and Vanessa were the first to appear, followed by Hayl, Lou, Seth and Ellie. Between them they bustled round the kitchen fixing breakfast for everyone.

Seth had calmed down. He hadn't spoken to Samantha but they had exchanged a brief smile and that was enough to know everything was fine. At least for now.

When David and Lucy appeared, everyone was instantly in stitches at it appeared he'd slept in his 'Ketch' costume and he regailed them all with far fetched stories of Arthur's British lineage. 

Samantha loved having the house so full of life and she knew her aunt would have loved it too. In all the time she had the B&B, it had never been so full.

Sam joined them a short while later. He and Seth appeared to call a cease fire and were sitting with each other enjoying scrambled eggs and coffee.

Seth couldn't keep his eyes off Ellie. Samantha was pleased he had a distraction. She wouldn't normally encourage their relationship but anything that stopped him and Sam going at it was very welcome.

Hayl had downloaded the blood spell ritual to Lou and Vanessa but was still holding out hope the dream walking would at least buy them some time whilst she collected the rest of the things she needed.

Samantha joined them in the dining room. She sat by Vanessa who seemed spaced out. She had barely said a word when she arrived and now it appeared she was somewhere else entirely. 

Samantha squeaked the chair as she sat down and Vanessa almost jumped out of her skin.

'You ok sweety?' She asked

Vanessa's eyes filled up and she quietly started telling Samantha about Aaron.

###########

Rox woke before Finn and after using the bathroom, she took a moment to stand at the window, totally mesmerised by how much snow had fallen over night.

Quietly, bare chested Finn snuck up behind her, gliding his hand across her stomach before locking his arm around her waist.

She rested her head against his chest, closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath, knowing full well that this was the start of something special.

'It's really coming down out there' she said quietly as Finn nuzzled his face into the back of her neck. 'Maybe we'll get stuck up here forever'

She held Finn's arms around her, the feel of his skin sending waves of electricity surging through her.

'That's fine with me' he replied softly as he pecked her on the cheek.

Within a few minutes they were dressed and downstairs with everyone else.

Rox had sat with Samantha and Vanessa whilst Finn joined Seth and Sam. Even though they were in the same room, Finn missed her, missed having his arms round her. They caught each others eye across the room and in that moment Finn knew that this was the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with.


	29. The Suit. The Accent. The Eyebrow

Vanessa only allowed herself a brief moment of weakness regarding Aaron and she felt better for talking about it but her troubles seemed far from over. She recalled her night to the two girls who were sat with her but her story had quickly grabbed the attention of the room.

'I had the most vivid dream' she began 'I dreamt I was in the forest, not this forest but something similar' she took a sharp in take of breath 'and I kept hearing a man shouting, he was... he was anxious, desperate. He sounded like he had lost someone.' She paused again and took a mouth full of tea.  
'And then he appeared from the trees, asking if I'd seen his brother..... and I couldn't speak. He was angry and frantic and then he ran off.... and I tried to run but I couldn't, I was frozen on the spot and then darkness. I was awake but it was dark and then I woke up'

'That sounds awful hun' said Rox 'but it was just a dream, it's over now.

'Is it?' Said Vanessa 'It was so vivid so real and when I came to, I swear my hair was wet from being outside'

She sat back in the chair, pulling her hair off her forehead underneath her baseball cap.

Suddenly Hayl pounded across the room, like a lightbulb had lit up in her mind. She quickly started quizzing Vanessa about the specifics, the man, the woods. She bombarded her with question after question and Vanessa quickly became overwhelmed and tongue tied.

'That's enough Hayl' Samantha said putting her arm round Vanessa, who had gone as pale as a ghost.

'I think you might be able to help Sam' Hayl beamed and she ran off up the stairs to where Sam was sleeping.

She burst in the room, slightly out of breath.

'Sam get up!' She said forcefully 'I think Vanessa is a dream walker. I think she's seen your brother'

Sam bolted out of bed and he and Hayl jumped down the stairs two at a time. However once at the bottom they were greeted by a very stern looking Lou and Nova, who were not impressed by the commotion or the effect it was having on Vanessa.

'You need to give her a minute' said Nova 'she's upset and exhausted and doesn't need interogating' 

Nova said her peice and went back to Vanessa. 

Hayl knew Nova was right and the look Lou was wearing also didn't need any further explanation. Hayl was naturally impulsive, always had been. Jump first, ask questions later but she was learning to control it.

Hayl was passionate and firey and life with her was never dull. No-one really knew what she did for a living but she always seemed to be going on a new adventure. She was creative and insanely intelligent but she was always going, always moving and sometimes she just needed to stop and take care of herself, which she was now doing. She'd grown so much in the last year and her friends were fiercely proud of her for that.

Misha and Sandy slid past the party on the stairs, not wanting to get caught up in the middle of it. 

Hayl and Lou went to refresh the teapot and talk with Vanessa.

Meanwhile Lucy had jumped at David for not staying in character.

'David, please' she said for the third time that morning.

'Lucy' he said, drawing out the oooo sound. The thick british accent made the sound of her name roll off his tongue 'May I speak with you..... privately' he said as he raised one eye brow and cocked his head a little. He looked stern but playful and his eyes glistened a little as he stood up out of his chair and beckoned Lucy to join him

She knew she had been pushing this a bit too far but she couldn't help it. The suit, the accent, the eyebrow. It made her knees weak and she loved that after all this time, he still had that effect on her.

He held the door open for her and guided her out, his hand softly resting on the small of her back.

They stood on the front porch. Although snowing heavily, they were sheltered from the wind by the slightly slanted porch roof. David's face was stern and Lucy felt like she was about to get told off.

She bit her lip.

'Now dear' he said as he adjusted the collar of her coat 'I really think thattt, this has run it's course, don't you?' He asked, still in character but clearly no longer amused.

She folded her arms and took a step towards him. Pressing herself slightly against him, looking down coyly, not sure whether to meet his eyes or not.

He gritted his teeth and looked over the top of his nose at her. He lingered a moment, rubbing the sides of her arms as she slowly raised her head and in an instant he got lost in his wifes big green eyes.

'I'm sorry' she said dropping her arms and moving closer 'but I can't help it.

She slowly moved her hands up his chest and pulled at the lapel on his coat, crashing his lips into hers.

'That outfit and that accent gets me so worked up'

And standing up on her tiptoes, her lips once again met his. They were lost in the moment, David suddenly remembered he was mad at her.

He pulled away from her hesitantly.

'Oh come on, your friends think I'm nuts' David replied.

Lucy kept her hands locked into his lapel and she watched her fingers as she ran the material through them.

'What if I told you you could have me right here....right now?'

Their eyes met again. David couldn't resist and was instantly turned on by how forward and kinky she was.

Unfortunately their moment was interupted by the sound of shrieking tyres resonating through the trees and the almighty crash that followed sent waves of dread through them both.

'What the hell was that?' David said, scanning the horizon for a clue.

'No idea' replied Lucy looking around too 'it sounded like a car'

As David's eyes refocused beyond the trees, he saw a cloud of smoke appear against the white snow.

'Go get help he ordered' and spun quickly, running off into the snow, his long coat billowing behind him.


	30. Another twist in the tale

Lucy entered the house quickly

'There's been an accident on the main road' she gasped, quickly pulling her boots on.

Seth, Sam and Finn rushed to their feet, joined by Hayl and Lou. They frantically pulled their outdoor gear on, grabbed blankets and the first aid kit and ran out the door and down the drive towards the main road.

Everyone else stood at the window. They too could see the small plume of smoke and they watched helplessly as their friends ran as best they could through the snow towards the main road.

 

David was the first at the scene and when he got there he could barely believe what he was seeing.

A white mini bus had slid off the road and collided with a tree. There was a trail of mud across the snow and there was smoke and flames coming from the bonnet of the crumpled bus.

Two guys had gotten out and they were frantically pulling at the drivers door. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel with blood on his face.

'Stop, stop' shouted David. It was clear the two guys hadn't seen the flames coming out from the bonnet.

'Fire extinguisher?' He shouted.

One of the guys pulled open the back doors, pulling bags and coats out as he scrambled to look.

The other man stood to the side, watching as David threw his jacket off and plunged through the snow, the brambles, the mud to get close enough to the front of the car so he could try and put the fire out.

Lucy nearly had a heart attack when she saw David waist high in snow with a fire extinguisher in his hand.

'David' she screamed

David moved some more and eventually got close enough to empty the contents of the fire extinguisher under the bonnet. A crackle and fizz filled the air and the flames subsided and at last, disappeared.

Seth and Sam pulled the passenger door open and between them and David managed to pull the limp body of the driver free.

Hayl set a blanket on the ground and they laid him down onto. Thankfully he had a pulse and was breathing but he had a nasty gash on his head and they all gathered around him, praying he would wake up.

David made his way out of the ditch, his suit was ripped to shreds and he had cuts all over his hands and arms.

Lucy threw her arms round him, almost in tears. Grateful he was ok and overwhelmed with pride at his bravery. He shook himself off but as ge did, he felt a stinging sensation in the back of his leg.

When he turned to inspect it, he saw blood seeping through his trouser leg just below his knee.

Lucy grabbed a bandage and wrapped it round him and with his arm held firlmy over her shoulder and her arm firmly round his waist, they started walking back to the B&B

'What happened?' Asked Sam as he helped one of the guys pick his bags up.

'I dunno man' one replied in a gruff voice 'I was sleepin'

The man had shaggy hair, all but stuck to his face, he had ungroomed facial hair and wore a black baseball cap.

The other blonde curly haired guy came up to them 'We hit some ice and he lost control'

Sam turned to look at him, he had blood coming from his nose and appeared to be a little disorientated. He stumbled a little but Sam caught him.

'Let's get you back to the house' he said calmly and he helped him walk a little way and get his balance.

'Is he gonna be ok' he said as she stepped up alongside the driver.

Hayl and Lou had tried to clean the driver up, patched up the gash on his head and were holding his head steady as he slowly opened his eyes.

'He'll be fine' Lou said and looked at Sam 'just get him back to the house'

Seth and Finn went over the car to make sure it wasn't going to explode and when they were satisfied they pulled the bags and belongings out and took the keys out of the ignition.

Relived the driver had come to they were now faced with the task of getting him back to the house. Finn knew he couldn't carry him as he'd already pulled his shoulder and didn't want to risk hurting the guy anymore.

'We have to get him back' said Seth 'can you girls help me?' He asked, glancing at Finn who looked upset that he couldn't help.

Lou and Hayl got the man to his feet and Seth took his arm and lifted him off the ground. Lou held him at the otherside, releasing Hayl and the two of them managed to carry him quickly down the road.

Hayl and Finn were left to carry the bags. They walked slowly, inspecting the bus once more and checking to make sure no-one had dropped anything.

Hayl gently placed her hand on Finn's shoulder as they walked. Finn felt a heat run through his bad shoulder. It almost felt like his scar was on fire. He squinted a little as she held her hand steady. She looked him dead in the eyes and said 'put some ice on that, it'll feel better in the morning' she smiled a half smile and ran to catch up with the others.

Finns arm was tingling all the way to his finger tips. It felt heavy but he still managed to wiggle his fingers.

What had she just done to him?


	31. The right thing

Now the house had three new people in it and was almost frantic, especially as they were now dealing with some injuries and people they didn't even know.

David and Lucy made their way into the conservatory, along with Hayl, Finn, the new blonde haired guy and the shaggy haired guy.

Lou and Sam set the driver, Eddie, down on the couch by the fire whilst Sandy and Misha tended to his wounds with the first aid kit Sam had left on the mantle peice. Sam and Sandy seemed to know their way around a first aid kit and Lou was hand to hold the guys hand and talk to him. 

Needless to say, David quickly fell out of character as Lucy pulled the blood soaked bandage off his leg. They all grimmaced at the site of his mangled leg soaked in blood and dirt.

'Shit' she muttered as she got up to get clean water and towels.

Rox and Ellie felt redundant so busied themselves making hot drinks and fetching fresh clothes and towels.

Lucy had ran upstairs in a panic and when she returned she was shaking.

'What's wrong?' Rox asked

'David's leg is really bad' she muttered. 'I think he needs stitches and I haven't got a needle or anything to do it. And it could get infected and..' she trailed off

Rox stood helpless. Her mind racing as to what could be done. She'd also concluded that Eddie needed medical attention for the gash on his head and the fact he'd been knocked out.

'Misha!' She hollared over the room.

He quickly rose from beside the fireplace and joined the 3 girls in the kitchen.

'Hey, um, I think we need to get this guy to a hospital' he sais quietly.

'David too' Lucy replied

'Can you do anything? Call anyone?' Rox asked 'The snow has eased but who knows how long we'll be before a snow plough gets up here'

Misha frowned, a deep set, troubled frown. He knew that with one call he could have people up here. He also knew it would give away where he was and that would mean he would have to go back and face the music.

He pursed his lips and cleared his throat.

He hesitated. That much was clear but he locked eyes with Lucy who was silently pleading with him. He sighed. He knew what he had to do.

'Let me make a call' he said as he tiptoed into a quiet corner.

Oblivious to what was going on with Misha, Sandy continued to try and help Eddie. He was drowsy and pale. She kept him talking as much as she could, tried to get him to drink some water but the more time that passed, the harder it was becoming. Lou tried too, asked him about his family and his job but she too felt like it wasn't working. He kept closing his eyes or spacing out. Sam stood with his hand on his forehead as Misha spoke softly in the corner. 

Misha hung the phone up and dropped his head. Sandy caught a glimpse out the corner of her eye and instantly panic set in. She exchanged a knowing look with Lou and bravely went over to talk to him.

Part of her knew what was coming but part of her still didn't want to believe it.

They stood face to face. He gently rubbed her shoulders for a moment before resting his forehead lightly against hers.

'I have to go' he said softly

She nodded, trying to hold back the tears.

Before there was any further chance to talk him out of it, he scuppered away to collect his things and to talk to Lucy.

'They're sending someone to collect those who are injured' he said 'they'll be here in the next couple of hours'

Rox and Ellie breathed a sigh of relief as Lucy flung her arms around him.

'Thank you' she smiled and returned to her husband's side.

Misha returned to Sandy who was stood with her arms around herself just staring off into the distance.

'I have to do the right thing here' he said 'I can't let something happen to any of these people because I'm too scared to face up to what happened'

'I know' she said quietly

'I'm so indebted to you, to everyone for giving me shelter, for welcoming me in, for giving me a moment to catch my breath' he went on with a slight quiver in his voice.

He took her hands and pulled them gently to his lips.

'I promise, I will come back for you, as soon as I am able to' he said as he gently cradled her face in his hands 'I love you and I am never leaving you again'

Silent tears fell from Sandy's eyes as Misha kissed her softly.

'Thank you for taking care of my friends' she uttered, trying not to sob all over him 'I love you too and I'll wait for you'


	32. How does she do that?

Back in the kitchen Rox was making yet another round of hot drinks. Ellie had gone to check on Nova, who's stomach had turned at the sight of all the blood and was in the upstairs bathroom putting on a spectacular display of digestive pyrotechincs.

Finn was pacing, swinging his arm around and clenching his fist.

'You ok?' Rox asked

'My arm feels weird' he huffed 'Is there any ice in the freezer?' 

Rox rummaged in the freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen peas, she wrapped it in a towel and handed it to Finn.

'Do you need to see a Dr too? You said you tweaked your shoulder' her heart sank at the thought of him leaving too but she couldn't help but feel partly responsible for it.

He pushed the peas into his arm and looked her dead in the eyes and said firmly 'You really think I'm going anywhere without you?'

She held his gaze for a moment and smiled at him. He smiled back and rejoined the others in the conservatory.

Lucy and David hadn't moved. He sat with his leg up on a chair as Lucy applied pressure to his wound. She was clearly agitated and kept looking at the clock on the wall.

'Won't be long sweety' Hayl said as she touched her shoulder. Hayl's touched seem to instantly calm her and within seconds the tension was lifted.

Ness, Ellie and Seth had been talking to the guys from the bus, Evan and Norman. They were deeply embroiled in a conversation where they were trying to explain what a convention was.

They said they were on their way back from a fan convention and the driver had taken a wrong turn in the snow. They were scheduled for another appearance next week so they would have to figure out how to get to the airport at the earliest opprtunity.

'The snow plows will be through in the next couple of days' Samantha said 'As long as no more snow falls, we can get you on your way'

Ness looked a little disappointed. She appeared to have taken quite a shine to Evan who was animatedly regailing her with convention stories. 

'So let me get this straight' she said 'you guys are actors in a TV show and people pay their hard earned money to come and take pictures with you?' 

'That's about the jist of it' Evan replied

'That's total madness' Ness barked, snorting tea out of her nose with laughter.

'He gets weirder stuff than I do' Evan said pointing to Norman 'One time, someone bit him' 

'Like, actually bit him?' Ness replied, almost choking on her drink.

A brief pause followed as Ness's laughter trailed off.

Silence fell.

'How much do you have to pay for that?'chimed Hayl.

Norman spun in his chair and took a moment to look her up and down. 

Hayl stood in her tight jeans and leather jacket was enough to turn the head of any man or woman but with slightly damp hair and smudged make up, the way she looked spoke to Norman on another level.

'For you sweetheart, not a thing' he replied in a gruff, almost hoarse voice. 

Confidence just oozed from her as she strut past him and smuggly replied 'I'll hold you to that'

He couldn't help but watch her as walked away. She wasn't out of sight half a seconsd before Norman excused himself and bolted out of his chair after her.

'How does she do that?' Samantha said in awe.

'It's Hayl' said Ness as she caught eyes with her friends who all knew what she meant.

Once again though, they had lost track of time, between convention and wrestling stories, the hours flew by and the pleasantries were interupted by a massive black off road vehicle with tyres the size of boulders rolling up the driveway


	33. I know you and I got you

Misha sighed as he caught sight of the vehicle pulling up outside. He and Sandy had been stood in the doorway to the dining room for a while. Not saying anything. He held her tight against his chest and stroked her auburn hair.

She felt his chest rise and fall as his heart pounded in his chest. Reluctantly Sandy moved away from him and let him go. There was nothing else they needed to say to each other. She smiled bravely and let him go.

Misha passed Sam, 6 foot something Sam and reached out his hand 'I hope you find your brother' he said as Sam reached out to him. 'Thanks' he replied, pursing his lips.

Samantha was stood by the door waiting to greet the men from the truck but they didn't enter. They simply stood on the porch with their arms crossed.

'Thank you for your unwavering hospitality' he said to Samantha and instinctively threw his arms around her. She squeezed him back and whispered 'This is our safe place and you're always welcome... wherever we are'

Misha reluctantly opened the door and the two men escorted him safely into the vehicle.

Sandy slunk.up beside Samantha and rested her head on her shoulder. Samantha gave her a squeeze. Sandy hadn't said anything for a while now. They knew she was about to shut down when she stopped talking. But they understood. They understood how her mind worked. They understood what she needed to do take care of herself, all she needed was them there when she came out the other side. 'It's ok' Samantha said quietly ' I know you and I got you'

Sandy smiled or at least tried to but she was done. Totally emotionally drained. Her soul felt exhausted and her heart felt heavy. She just wanted to sleep, so she retired upstairs to do just that.

Lou walked the bus driver out into the snow and helped him into the truck. He was pretty out of it and Lou was glad he was going to get the help he needed.

Lucy and Seth were arguing with David, who was adamant he was walking to the truck on his own.

He stood up out of the chair and almost fell over. He would have been on the floor if Seth hadn't caught him.

'Thank you, young man' he said as he realised that he had absolutely no idea who he was.

Seth and Lucy wrapped each of Davids arms around their necks and helped him hobble out of the door. 'Stop struggling, we've got you' Lucy said frustratidly as David kept trying to do more than he could. A few moments later Lucy was back in the house giving hugs to everyone. She was anxious because she was leaving without saying goodbye to Nova but Nova was still in the bathroom with Ellie.

'Tell her I love her and I'll call her as soon as I can' she said, trying not to cry. She had been looking forward to spending time with the girls and was sad it had ended so quickly but she belonged with David and she too, had to leave.

Sadly everyone gathered at the frosted windows and watched as the truck wheel spun snow up into the air and then swiftly disappeared back up the track and into the trees.

'Now what?' Ness said

That.... was a very good question


	34. Didn't see that coming

Lou was the last one up. She sat by the dying, fixated on the glowing embers. The house seemed to breath a sigh of relief now the chaos had died down. Lou took a few moments to walk around the living room and dining room, admiring the dark wood panels and the heavy curtains. She touched the wooden beam across the fireplace and looked around longingly. There was no way she could let Samantha get rid of this place.

She felt an incredible sense of peace but also visions flooded her mind of all the things this place could be.

She poured herself a very large brandy, which she'd found in the back of one of the dressers in the dining room and sat down once more in the plush armchair in front of the fire.

She closed her eyes and let the visions wash over her. She saw summer weddings with daisies popping out of the rich green grass. She saw romantic, luxurious weekend breaks for couples and friends. She saw pumpkins and herbs hanging and children playing games around a campfire.

Her day dream was interupted by Nova slumping down into the chair next to her. She looked pale and clammy. Lou could tell she wasn't feeling great but she she had a twinkle in her eye.

'You alright darlin?' Lou asked without opening her eyes. She could tell it was Nova, the only other person who'd be stirring late at night is Hayl and she had been somewhat preoccupied with Norman since Lucy left.

Nova huffed and kinda chuckled.

'What is it?' Lou asked sense, what she could describe as almost hysteria in her voice.

'I.....I think I'm pregnant' Nova said

And dead silence fell between them before they both errupted in fits of laughter.

'That's amazing' Lou exclaimed as she jumped from her seat. 'Yeah, it is' Nova replied 'terrifying but amazing'

She got up and hugged her friend.

'Can you keep this to yourself, until I get home and tell Dimitri...' her lip wobbled, she scrunched her face 'that he's gonna be a Daddy'


End file.
